Bailbonds and Cinnamon
by Writer at Birth
Summary: AU: Emma did not grow up alone in the land without magic. Her mother was able to come with her, just as planned. But will Snow's presence help or hinder the breaking of the curse? Rated T for eventual romantic content.
1. Prologue

David tightened his grip on his wife's hand as she tensed against another wave of pain. The rough scream that tore from her throat echoed through every fiber of his being, sending shivers down his spine.

"It's going to be okay," he whispered in her ear. "I'm right here, Snow."

She didn't have the energy needed to turn her head, but he felt her answering squeeze of his fingers. She gasped sharply as another contraction hit her, harder and faster than any so far.

"It's almost here," she panted. "Almost…" Her words broke off abruptly as she screamed again.

David shifted the arm he had wrapped around her shoulders, giving her something to brace herself against. "Doc!"

The trusty dwarf looked up sharply from where he'd stationed himself at the foot of the bed. "She's right. It's time."

David leaned his forehead against Snow's sweat-soaked locks and willed his strength to flow into her. He ignored the unnatural howling of the wind outside.

The curse was coming. They'd known it was inevitable. But Regina and her madness could wait until after his baby was born. The outside world had ceased to exist. There was only David and Snow and the unborn baby.

Each breath Snow took was an audible moan as she tried to speak again. "The wardrobe..."

"Don't worry about that," David said fiercely. He couldn't afford to think about the wardrobe right now. He would break down and be no good to anyone if he allowed himself to think more than ten minutes into the future.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and planted a soft kiss on Snow's temple. "Just concentrate on the baby. Push!"

* * *

Regina peered through the window of her carriage as the forest flashed by on either side. Just ahead stood the Royal Castle, already cast in an unnatural twilight as the roiling storm clouds drew closer. She could sense her escort of Dark Knights straining to stay ahead of the clouds as they pushed their mounts and the carriage to a manic pace. After all, these weren't mere storm clouds.

A smile slowly crept over the Evil Queen's face. It was almost over. She had won.

* * *

"The wardrobe," Snow said in a hollow voice. "It only takes one." She clung to baby Emma with a desperation that David rarely saw in her.

The sound of running footsteps somewhere in the outer corridors drew both their attention to the door for a few seconds. David's heart pounded a frantic beat. He looked down at Snow, seeing his own despair mirrored in her eyes.

"Then our plan has failed." His voice shook and he mentally cursed himself. He bent over Snow's shoulder, admiring his daughter's perfect features. He cupped his hand over her head, marveling at the softness of her hair.

Emma. The name was magical.

"At least we're together," he said softly, resting his head against Snow's. For a few seconds he was able to block out the noises from the hall, the increasingly louder wind, and the thought of imminent doom. Again, the outside world ceased to exist. It was David and Snow and Emma and that was enough.

"No." Snow took a deep breath and David felt her steeling herself again, pulling the pieces back together. "You have to take her. Take the baby to the wardrobe."

David drew back from his wife, mind reeling. "Are you out of your mind?"

"I"m not!" Snow looked up at him through watery eyes. "It's the only way. We have to send her through..."

"No!" David cut in before she could say more. Panic was rising up inside him, threatening to overtake him. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. He couldn't just throw his daughter through a magic portal, savior or not. Surely, this wasn't what the Blue Fairy had in mind. "You don't know what you're saying!"

"No, I do!" Snow said, voice rough from screaming and eyes shining with unshed tears. "We have to believe that she'll come back for us."

David stared at his wife, trying to still the trembling in his jaw. This wasn't fair. Nothing was fair.

Clattering footsteps in the corridor interrupted the conversation and David immediately reached for his sword. Before he could unsheathe it, Geppetto's familiar voice rang out. "Your majesties!"

The elderly man came stumbling through the door, gaze darting from David to Snow and the bundle in her arms and then back to David. He took a deep, shuddering breath. "There is something I need to tell you... about the wardrobe.

David noted the bright eyes of Geppetto's son Pinocchio peeking around the door.

"The Blue Fairy approached me about building the wardrobe before she told the rest of the council about it." Geppetto paused to take another deep breath. "And I told her I would build the wardrobe on one condition. That my son be allowed to go through along with the savior and be saved from the curse."

David stood dumbly, letting the words trickle into his brain. "I don't understand…"

Geppetto wrung his hands in anguish. "Th-the wardrobe… it can hold two… But the Blue Fairy... I asked her to tell you it would only hold one so that… so that my son…"

"You lied to us," Snow said, the pain evident in her voice.

Geppetto dropped to his knees sobbing. "Forgive me. I wanted to save my son. My little boy…"

Pinocchio ran into the room and wrapped his thin arms around his father, snuggling his cheek into the crook of Geppetto's neck. "It's okay, Father," he said. "We must be selfless, brave, and true. Right?"

Geppetto croaked something inaudible in reply and wrapped his arms tightly around his son.

David let out a shaky breath and looked at Snow, whose eyes were wide as she absorbed the information.

"Two people," he said, hoping she didn't hear the catch in his voice.

"Two can go," she said faintly.

David gave her a firm smile and marched over to the bed. Carefully, he lifted her out of the blankets, cradling her like baby. He looked down at Emma, asleep in her mother's arms and then back into his wife's eyes.

"Let's get you to that wardrobe."

* * *

Snow closed her eyes and leaned her head against her husband's shoulder as he hustled out into the empty halls. The dark clouds of the curse had engulfed the surrounding countryside and were on the verge of snatching those left in the castle away as well. She wasn't naturally attuned to magic, so she couldn't feel the dark energy that was no doubt swirling through the air, but she knew it was there nonetheless. Regina was the one who had forged this curse, out of the deepest depths of her hatred. The dark magic would be very strong indeed.

Snow opened her eyes to watch as David rushed towards the nursery. A burning feeling clawed at her chest and her throat, making it hard to keep from crying. Was this the last time she would see her beloved castle; her home? Her gaze swept upward across the strong jaw and burning eyes of her Prince Charming. She was about to leave him behind too. The thought was too painful to bear.

Suddenly, David gave a shout and dropped into a crouch. The unexpected movement and angle of descent nearly made Snow lose her grip on Emma, but she didn't have time to ask questions when she saw the Dark Knight's sword swing through the space where David's head had been seconds before. Realizing that she was a handicap to her husband, she shoved herself forward, out of his arms, curling on her side as she fell to protect the baby.

Usually David would have protested her doing such a thing, but his sword was already out and swinging around in a clean arc to meet that of the enemy knight's. Snow looked away for a few seconds to scan the hall and felt a jolt of fear as she saw the second knight running towards her. He was going to kill her and her baby right now. The curse would never be broken because the savior would be dead…

David spun under his opponent's blade, nicking him in the side as he passed and drawing a curse from the man. The Prince's momentum brought him to a stance directly above his wife and daughter, just in time to block the sweeping blow from the second knight. He shifted his weight firmly onto his left foot and kicked out with his right, hitting the surprised knight in the stomach. The man stumbled backwards, gasping for breath as David wheeled on the other knight, switching from defensive to offensive with such ease that the man was dead before he even realized he was being attacked. Before the first knight hit the ground, David whirled. His sword sliced through the air before it bit deep into the neck of the second knight. The man dropped like a stone and David stood panting for a few precious seconds.

Snow slowly struggled to her feet, amazed at the calm radiating from her husband as he sheathed his sword and put his arms around her.

They didn't say anything about the battle. They didn't have to.

Snow leaned her head into David's chest and didn't move for a moment. Despite the howling of the wind and the dead bodies on the floor, the moment was more peaceful than any she'd had in the past few weeks.

David pulled back and cupped her face with his hand. "Time to go," he whispered.

Snow swallowed a cry of a despair that threatened to spill out and simply nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too" he said. She reached up with her free hand and brushed her thumb across his cheek before sliding her hand behind his head and pulling him down for a final kiss. She let that kiss last as long as possible, savoring it, tucking it away to never forget, no matter how long she lived. Her fingers curled in his hair, memorizing his smell, his feel… everything about him.

As if in slow motion, she felt him pull away and scoop her up again. She was aware distantly that she was crying. She needed to put on a brave face for him and show him that she wasn't scared to go through the wardrobe, that she was strong enough to take care of Emma no matter what dangers came their way; but she couldn't stop the tears streaming down her face.

One kick to the nursery door and it flew open. David hurried to the wardrobe, pulled the doors open, and slowly set Snow down inside. His arms tightened around her one last time and then he stepped back, smiling through his tears.

"Find us," he whispered.

"I will always find you," Snow choked out.

The light from the hall was suddenly blocked as the doorway filled with the outline of another Dark Knight.

"David!" Snow screamed.

David looked over his shoulder and then slammed the doors of the wardrobe shut. One small click signaled the key turning in the lock and then there was silence.

"No!" Snow cried. She reached forward and hit the doors hard with the palm of her hand, but the sturdy doors merely shuddered a little. Frantically, she scooted around so she could kick the doors. Suddenly the doors burst open with a sharp cracking sound, flying out and away from the wardrobe.

Snow blinked as daylight filtered into the opening. Through the open door she could see a forest of towering evergreens. A slight dusting of snow covered the ground.

"No, no, no, no!" She buried her face in her daughter's blanket and wailed.

He was gone.

* * *

David couldn't help but smile, even as he gasped for breath. The last knight's sword had hit something vital. He could feel the warm blood pooling around him as he twitched fitfully on the ground. His muscles seemed to think that the proper response to a fatal injury was to spasm relentlessly.

The physical pain was a small price to pay for the sight he'd seen when the knights had smashed through the doors of the wardrobe. He never thought he'd be so happy gazing at an empty closet.

"Well, well, well…"

The familiar voice sent chills down his spine. If he could move at all, he would wrench himself from the ground and use his last strength to make a final attempt to take down his approaching enemy. Instead he continued twitching, causing little ripples to spread through the blood.

Regina stalked around him in a circle. His eyes followed her boots as she walked.

"This is sad, isn't it?" Regina said, gleefully. "Dear Prince Charming, dying alone..."

David swallowed the thick feeling growing in his throat. "You… you've lost… Regina…" He paused and coughed painfully. "You lost."

Regina paused in front of his face. Blood speckled her shiny black boots.

"I lost?" She laughed contemptuously. "Look around you, you fool! I've won!"

David wasn't sure if it was his ears malfunctioning or the curse drawing closer that intensified the furious sounds of the wind.

"Where are Snow White and her child?" Regina demanded of the knights standing respectfully near by.

"Gone," one answered. "They were in the wardrobe and then... they were gone."

Regina hissed. She bent down to look David in the eye.

"Where are they?" she yelled.

"They got away." David said weakly, voice little more than a whisper. "You're going to lose. I... know that... now. Good... will always… win..."

"We'll see about that," Regina sneered. She stood slowly. "I have something extra special planned for you, Charming."

David tried to speak again, but all that came out was a gurgle and he realized that his throat was full of blood.

A deafening cracking sound echoed through the room and suddenly the air around them became a vortex. Regina began to laugh as the glass windows shattered and thunder rolled.

David struggled futilely against the empty blackness swallowing him, as he listened to Regina's crow of victory.

"This is my happy ending."

* * *

A/N: Just a taste of what I have planned for this fic and the set up for what's about to unfold. Hope you all enjoyed this throwback to the pilot. :) I'll try to update every other day, but until I get my work schedule for the summer, I'm kind of flying by the seat of my pants, so just bear with me. Please review and let me know what you think!


	2. Welcome To Storybrooke

Emma eased around the corner into the main dining room of the restaurant, hoping that she was giving off that vibe of slightly nervous with a hint of excitement. She resisted the urge to tug at the low neckline of her dress again, knowing that complete confidence was key. She scanned the room, gaze landing almost immediately on a familiar face.

 _Put on a smile, Emma._

She walked towards her date at a comfortable pace as he rose from his seat.

"Emma," he said with a smile. He extended his hand.

"Ryan?" she asked, accepting the handshake and seating herself in the empty chair. "You look relieved."

Ryan gave a little laugh as he resumed his seat. "Well it is the Internet. Pictures can be..."

"Fake. Outdated. Stolen from the Victoria's Secret catalog," Emma finished for him. She leaned forward letting a taste of mischief creep into her voice. "So..."

"So..." Ryan repeated. "Tell me something about yourself, Emma."

Emma raised her eyebrows. "Oh... Uh, well... Today's my birthday."

"And you're spending it with me?" Ryan asked. "What about your friends?"

Emma pursed her lips. "Kind of a loner."

"And... you don't like your family?"

She hesitated. "No family to like."

Ryan leaned back with a wry grin. "Aw, come on. Everyone has a family."

Emma toyed with her silverware. "Technically... yeah. But not everyone knows who they are." She looked up at Ryan. "Ready to run yet?"

He laughed again. "Oh, not a chance. You, Emma, are by far the sexiest friendless orphan that I have ever met."

Emma chuckled. "Okay, your turn. No wait!" She made a show of looking him up and down. "Let me guess... You're... handsome, charming..."

Ryan leaned forward. "Go on..."

Emma kept her voice warm. "The kind of guy who... and now stop me if I get this wrong... embezzled from your employer, got arrested, and skipped town before they could throw you in jail."

The blood drained from Ryan's face. "What?"

"And the worst part of all this is your wife," Emma continued. "Your wife loves you so much that she bailed you out, and how do you repay that loyalty? You're on a date."

The silence was deafening.

"Who are you?"

Emma tilted her head coyly. "The chick who put up the rest of the money."

"The bail bondsman," Ryan said.

"Bail bondsperson."

Ryan shot to his feet and threw the table over. Emma jumped up as fancy dishes, flower arrangement and wine slid into a messy jumble at her feet. The shattering of glass caused several other diners to cry out in shock and jump to their feet. In the few precious seconds of chaos, Ryan bolted from the room.

Emma ran her fingers along the wine soaked silk of her dress and gave a resigned sigh. "He's making a run for it."

A voice crackled through her earpiece. "He won't get far. Don't worry."

"I'm counting on it." She curled her lip into a pout. "By the way, someone owes me a new dress."

This time the only answer in her ear was a gentle laugh.

* * *

Ryan's breath came in raspy huffs as he sprinted across the street to his car. He glanced over his shoulder once for any sign of a hot blonde in pursuit, but there was no sight of Emma. His thoughts were so scattered that it took him a full ten seconds after throwing open the car door to register the fact that someone was already seated behind the wheel.

"Hello, Ryan."

He blinked as the woman slid out of the car. A few streaks of grey were obvious in her dark hair, but her face showed almost no signs of age. He rocked on the balls of his feet, wondering if he should just shove her aside.

"Who are you?"

She smiled sweetly. "I'm the one who's in charge of making sure you don't get away."

"You're working with Emma?"

"Yeah, she drew the short straw this time. Both of us hate being the one that has to eat dinner with the filthy, lying sicko. But I also can't function in heels, so it's just as well."

Ryan stepped back, raising his hands. "You know you don't have to do this, okay? I could pay you. I have money..."

"No, you don't," the woman said. "And if you did, you should give it to your wife and take care of your family."

Ryan sneered down at her. "And what would you know about family, doll-face?"

The woman's smile vanished. "That sexy, friendless orphan you were fantasizing about sleeping with later tonight? That's my daughter."

He saw the roundhouse coming, but by the time he processed the fact that the pixie-like woman in front of him was not only Emma's mom but was also some sort of crime-fighting ninja, it was too late.

* * *

"We could just go home, you know..."

Emma bit back a groan as she lifted her head from where she'd buried it in her arms. Her elbows were a little sore from being wedged against the dashboard, but she'd actually managed to start nodding off.

Mary Margaret stared back at her, oozing concern. "I know it took longer to find him than we thought it would and if you just want to..."

"The only thing I want is to be at the cottage right now," Emma said, cutting her mother off. She laid her head back down. "Let's just get going."

"We can at least stop at the apartment so you can change first."

"It's fine, Mom. I want to get going."

Mary Margaret shifted the bug into drive and pulled smoothly into the flow of traffic. "You're stubborn."

Emma turned her head enough to give her mom a sideways smile. "It's my birthday."

Mary Margaret smiled back, but she kept her eyes on the road, fingers tightening on the steering wheel. Emma watched her for a few seconds and then sighed, closing her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I know... I know that today I'm supposed to... I know. I just don't know what to do..."

"Stop, Emma." Mary Margaret's voice was sharp. "Neither of us knows what to do. And you don't need to start apologizing for things you have no control over."

"But I'm supposed to have control. I'm supposed to be..."

"The Savior."

Both women were silent for a few moments, digesting the title and letting all the implications it carried roll through their heads.

"On her twenty-eighth birthday..."

"Emma."

"The child will return..."

"Stop it."

"And the final battle will begin." Emma pulled herself upright and tried to ignore the tears gathering in her eyes. "I can't fight a battle that I can't find."

Mary Margaret slammed her palm against the steering wheel. "Emma!"

Emma angrily swiped her unruly curls back over one shoulder. "What?!"

Mary Margaret blew out a long breath. The city streetlights played across her face, highlighting the smooth lines of her face. If it wasn't for the grey in her hair, she would look more like Emma's sister than her mother. There was a reason that the Evil Queen had tried to kill Snow White for her beauty. Emma knew her mother's face well enough though to notice the stress lines at the corners of her eyes and creasing her forehead. She could see the weariness of twenty-eight years shining through the hazel eyes.

"You're a lot of things, Emma," Mary Margaret said softly. She turned her eyes from the road for a few seconds to meet her daughter's gaze. "But today you're nothing but the birthday girl. And tonight we're going to drive to the cottage just like every year and we're going to celebrate." She pulled the bug to the side of the road. "We'll worry about breaking curses afterward."

Emma leaned forward to look out the windshield at the apartment building on their left. "I suppose that means after I change out of this dress too, huh?"

Mary Margaret smiled.

Emma couldn't help the chuckle that spilled out. "Speaking of stubborn..." She sighed as she unbuckled her seat belt. "You realize that if I change into something more comfortable, I _will_ fall asleep."

Her mom shrugged, unable to completely hide the triumph in her voice. "I don't mind driving all the way."

Emma shook her head in amusement and slid out of the yellow bug. The annual road trip wasn't starting out like it usually did, but Snow White and the Savior weren't the type of people to let anything stand in their way.

* * *

Emma shifted groggily, the cracked leather of her seat rustling against her red leather jacket. As she blinked the fog from her eyes, she became aware of something new resting on the dashboard: a single vanilla cupcake, heaped high with creamy white frosting and topped with a bright blue candle.

"Happy birthday, Sleeping Beauty."

Emma rolled her eyes at her mother's teasing. "I think you're getting your princesses mixed up."

Mary Margaret chuckled. "There's a whole box of those in the backseat, so help yourself."

Emma rubbed her eyes. "How long have we been driving?"

"Almost four hours. We still have a ways to go."

"Do you want to switch out."

Mary Margaret laughed again. "I'm not that old, Em. I'm fine."

"I don't know, I think I see a new grey hair."

"Eat your cupcake!"

Emma ducked Mary Margaret's playful punch and held up the cupcake. "Don't I get to blow the candle out first?" she whined.

"Lighter's in the glove compartment, baby." Mary Margaret tilted her head. "Do you need me to light it for you, sweetie? I don't want a little kid like you to hurt yourself."

Emma threw her own punch lightly at her mother's shoulder before fishing the lighter out and holding the flame to her candle. The little flame sputtered, but didn't go out even as Mary Margaret navigated the tight curves in the highway. Emma hesitated.

"Make a wish," Mary Margaret said softly.

Emma closed her eyes tightly and blew the candle out. The dark car remained still and silent as the two held their breath. Emma finally let out a nervous laugh and licked some of the frosting off her cupcake.

"Not sure what I was expecting."

Mary Margaret shook her head at the sight of orange traffic cones up ahead. "Did you wish to take the scenic route? Because it looks like we're taking a detour."

Emma leaned her forehead on the window pane. "Sorry, Mom. I think this day is jinxed."

Mary Margaret tapped the display screen on her cell phone. "It's almost midnight. Should we find somewhere to spend the night?"

"I told you I can drive for a while."

Mary Margaret huffed. "I'm not tired, Emma. I'm just thinking that it might be more enjoyable if we make the drive up the coast in the morning light."

"Mmhmm..." Emma licked the other side of the cupcake. "You know, this whole birthday thing is going to ruin my 'eating better' kick."

"Like you need to diet anyways," Mary Margaret snorted. "Your metabolism is so unfair."

"Mmff, who do you think I got that from?" Emma mumbled through a mouthful of cake.

"David," they both said before dissolving into giggles. Emma wiped a smear of frosting from the corner of her mouth and glanced at her mom. Mary Margaret had told her so many stories about Prince Charming that she felt as if she already knew him. Then again, that was her job. She thought of the book of fairytales Mary Margaret had given her for her fourth birthday, now safely tucked away in her suitcase in the back seat. Emma could recite almost every story in the book from memory.

Still, when Mary Margaret retold the story of Charming slaying his first dragon for the umpteenth time, Emma listened with just as much rapture as the first time. She watched now as the familiar look of wistfulness settled on her mother's face and waited for another well-known tale to spill forth. Instead, Mary Margaret reached down and grabbed the wadded up map from the floor.

"Find us a town with a motel, copilot."

Emma grinned and stuffed the last of the cupcake in her mouth before unfolding the map. "You know there's really nothing around here, right?"

"I have great faith in you."

Emma scanned the map by the light of her dying cell phone, squinting at the multicolored lines. "Are we on 218 or 220?"

"I don't think we're on either," Mary Margaret said wryly as they flashed by a sign for Highway 32.

Emma traced the roads with her finger as her phone issued a warning "Low Battery" beep. "There's nothing really close by... Maybe if we take the next left..."

Suddenly her phone blinked off. "Crap..."

She reached for the glove compartment to find the charger, only to have the phone slip from her lap and hit her foot. "Ouch!"

"Em?"

"I give up." Emma laid her head down on the dash and ground her teeth together.

"Em? Look what I found."

Emma shook her curls from her face to see a large wooden sign on the side of the road. A dim light illuminated the decorative words, "Welcome to Storybrooke".

Mary Margaret smirked at her daughter. "A-plus navigation."

"I swear there was no Storybrooke anywhere near here."

Mary Margaret shook her head. "It's okay, Emma. We can't all be expert trackers."

"Now wait just a minute, Madam Snow White..."

"Keep your eyes peeled for a motel," Mary Margaret said smoothly.

The trees which had hugged the road closely for the past few hours thinned out, giving way to residential buildings. Mary Margaret followed the main road, cruising the bug at an unhurried pace. A light mist began to fall as the car rolled through what appeared to be the main store district. Various restaurants, all with windows darkened, made up the majority of the buildings. Emma craned her neck to stare at the clock tower looming overhead.

"The clock is broken."

"What?"

"It's almost midnight, but the clock says it's 8:15."

"Doesn't give you much hope for what kind of place to stay we might..."

Mary Margaret's voice trailed off and Emma glanced over to see an inviting building with a sign reading "Granny's Bed and Breakfast".

"Looks nice enough..." Emma's head jerked forward as Mary Margaret hit the brakes.

"Mom!" Emma whipped to face her mom only to stop at the blank look on Mary Margaret's face. "Mom?"

Mary Margaret took a shaky breath and nodded towards the bed and breakfast. "I know her."

Emma turned back to examine the building more closely. Just walking up to the door was a lanky brunette sporting a mini skirt and a tight-fitting blouse that revealed a good portion of her midriff. Emma raised an eyebrow at her mom.

"You know her?"

Mary Margaret's face had gone a very odd shade. "It's Red."

"Red? You mean like..." Emma's voice trailed off as Mary Margaret suddenly grabbed her hand in a deathgrip.

"Emma... We found them..."

"Wait, you mean..."

A sudden tapping noise on Mary Margaret's window made both women jump. Mary Margaret turned and rolled the window down as a man with a sheriff's badge bent down with a smile on his face.

"Hello, ladies. Are you having some sort of car trouble?" he asked in a lilting Irish accent.

Mary Margaret seemed completely frozen so Emma leaned across to answer. "No, we're just passing through and looking for a place to stay the night."

"Well, you've made a wonderful choice," the sheriff said nodding towards Granny's. "No more welcoming place than our Granny's."

Emma smiled gratefully at the man. "Thank you, sheriff."

"Oh please." He extended his hand through the window. "It's just Graham."

Emma took his hand. "Emma Swan."

"Well, Emma. Let me be the first to say, welcome to Storybrooke."


	3. Welcome To Storybrooke, Part 2

Sheriff Graham had barely let go of Emma's hand before Mary Margaret was frantically opening the door and trying to shove her way past him.

"Whoa, whoa," Emma called. She jumped out of the car and hurried around to block Mary Margaret before she ran the poor man down in the street. "Mom, where are you going?"

"David," she said, an eerily desperate light in her eyes. "Emma, I need to get to David."

"David Nolan?" Graham said from behind her.

Mary Margaret spun to face him so quickly that she nearly lost her balance on the wet pavement. "You know him?" she asked.

Graham blinked slowly. "Of course. Are you... friends of his?"

"Yes," Emma jumped in hurriedly. "Very old friends. And we'd heard that he'd settled down in Storybrooke. So if we had the chance we thought we'd stop by and say hello _in the morning_."

The look on Mary Margaret's face told Emma that she was not at all okay with that plan.

Graham scratched his head. "Do you know his address?"

Emma gave him a grateful smile. "No, we don't have his current one actually. Would you mind maybe..."

"Of course," Graham said. He pulled out a pocket notebook and a pen with a flourish. "Happy to be of service."

He quickly jotted down a few lines, ripped off the sheet, and handed it to Emma. "Is there anything else I can help you ladies with tonight?" he asked gallantly.

Emma tried to ignore the charm he was radiating in waves. "I don't think so, but thank you."

Graham nodded and turned to leave when suddenly a thought hit Emma. "Wait!"

He turned and she laid a hand on his arm. "Could I... talk to you privately for a few minutes, sheriff?"

He glanced over her shoulder at Mary Margaret who was standing with arms folded over her chest, staring down at the pavement. "Of course."

He allowed himself to be led a few steps away from the car. "What is it?"

Emma took a deep breath, summoning up a scared expression. "I... I need to make sure that you won't tell anyone else that you saw us tonight."

Graham's eyes darkened. "May I ask why not?"

Emma's gaze darted back and forth. "Well... I'm not supposed to tell people info like this, but... you kind of caught us at a bad time and I'm out of options right now..."

He crossed his arms and waited for her to explain.

Emma took a deep breath. "My mother is in the witness protection program. She's being called to testify in a few months against a murder. It's a multiple homicide case and she was the only witness." She took a few seconds to evaluate the stoic look on his face. "Please, this guy has dangerous friends... They're doing all they can to find my mom and usually she has this disguise she wears, but I thought we'd be safe this late..."

Graham sighed and looked over her shoulder at Mary Margaret again. "Do you need my help hiding or anything?"

Emma felt a weight fall off her shoulders. "No, no. We've gotten good at that." She flashed him a wan smile. "I'll make sure she puts her disguise on right away, before anyone else catches sight of her."

Graham nodded slowly. "Yes, I think that would be for the best."

"So, you won't tell anyone?"

He gave her a little smile. "Not a soul, Ms. Swan."

Emma wasn't sure she liked the tone of his voice, but she forced herself to remain calm. "Thank you, sheriff."

"I already told you, it's Graham. Now I'll leave you to make your arrangements. Have a good night." He gave her another short nod before walking around a corner, to where his patrol car was parked no doubt. Emma watched him go with a strange feeling in her stomach that she had no urge to identify.

 _You have other problems to deal with right now, Em._

She turned back to her mother, a bit disconcerted at the vacant look in Mary Margaret's eyes. She walked back over to where she was leaning on the car, picking her way carefully around a few puddles.

"Mom?" Mary Margaret didn't respond and Emma reached out to touch her shoulder softly. "Mom, we need to get your disguise out of the back. Just like we planned."

Mary Margaret blinked and Emma watched a tear roll down her cheek. "Mom, please keep it together for a few more hours." She reached out a wiped the tear away with her thumb. "We'll find him, I promise."

Mary Margaret grabbed Emma's hand. "I need him, Emma," she whispered. "I need him."

"And he needs you too," Emma said. "Which is why I need you to put your disguise on. The last thing we need is Regina recognizing you. You know she's lurking around her somewhere."

Emma turned to walk around to the trunk, but was stopped by her mother's lingering grasp on her hand. "Do you think... do you think he'll still love me?" Mary Margaret said softly. Brokenly. "After everything... will he still love me?"

Emma's heart jumped into her throat and she swallowed thickly. "You know he will. You know better than I do what he told you the night I was born."

Mary Margaret closed her eyes. "What's twenty-eight years when you have eternal love?" She took a deep, shaky breath and let go of Emma's hand. "Okay, let's do this."

Emma quickly turned away to hide the tears gathering her eyes. It didn't take her long to pull out the dark glasses and cane that she and her mother kept hidden in the bug. As she headed back around the car to join Mary Margaret again, her eyes landed on the box of cupcakes stashed in the back seat and she couldn't help but smile to herself.

"What's so funny?" Mary Margaret asked as she donned the sunglasses.

"I guess my birthday wish worked after all," Emma said.

The women shared a brief smile before turning to face the bed and breakfast. Mary Margaret shifted her feet. "Emma..."

Emma gave her a firm nod. "I'm the Savior, Mom. This is what I was born to do."

She held out her hand and Mary Margaret took it, grateful for the warm strength it seemed to exude. Together, mother and daughter took their first steps away from the world they'd always known.

* * *

Emma couldn't help but smile as she looked down at the flimsy paper in her hand. Despite the gravity of the situation, the fact that Graham managed to sneak his number to her already gave her a fuzzy feeling for which she was thankful. It was a minute distraction from the enormity of what was about to unfold.

"You're sure this is the right address?"

Emma pretended not to notice the extra digits at the bottom of the paper as she glanced at the address again. "This is what Graham wrote down."

The white house with blue trim looked like something from a Leave it to Beaver episode. The quaint porch and dainty white curtains made the whole thing feel homey and relaxed. The neighborhood appeared to be quiet and full of average families, the kind that drove their kids to soccer games and went golfing on the weekends. Overall, it was picture perfect, although Emma took an instant disliking to the decorative windmill squatting in the front yard.

Mary Margaret bit her lip, tapping her cane in a disjointed rhythm on the sidewalk. "What if... "

Emma waited for her to continue, but her mother simply trailed off into silence and continued staring at the house. Finally, Emma sighed.

"Mom, you've talked yourself through every 'what if' that you could possibly think of in the past..." She glanced at her watch. "Seven hours. There's nothing that can be worse than what you two have already gone through. You've just survived an evil curse, for crying out loud."

Mary Margaret glanced over at her with her lips curled in the disapproving frown Emma knew so well.

"I'm just trying to tell you to have a little faith," Emma said. She gave her mother a little shove forward. "Now, it's about high time that I met my father, don't you think?"

Mary Margaret took a deep breath and walked towards the house, cane tapping convincingly in front of her, while Emma followed warily. Truth be told, she was more nervous than she'd been letting on and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep up the support if Mary Margaret didn't snap out of the shock of finding Storybrooke soon.

Mary Margaret navigated the stairs up to the porch and reached for the doorbell. Emma thought she would hesitate again once, but she pushed the button and stood back to wait without so much as flinching. Emma held her breath as steady footsteps approached the door from the other side.

The man who opened the door was exactly as Emma had pictured him. Dirty blond hair, still a bit messy from sleep, deep blue eyes, a strong jaw that looked as if it had been made expressly for smiling. She tried hard not to let her mouth fall open as little details clicked into place faster than she could register them; details that were all... _her_. Like the way his lips were pressed together as he filed away the sight of the two strangers on his porch or the way his eyes seemed to go dark the instant he realized that he didn't know these people. It was like looking at her reflection in a mirror and finally seeing the parts that weren't _Mary Margaret_ and were distinctly... _David_.

"David..." she heard Mary Margaret breath, almost indiscernible from beside her.

"Can I help you?" His voice was warm, deep. Emma tried not to let herself imagine what one of her bedtime stories would have sounded like read in that voice.

"We.. ah..." Emma stuttered, forgetting her planned cover story.

"We're old friends of your mother's," Mary Margaret said. Emma turned to look at her. Her voice sounded like it was coming from very far away. "We've kind of gotten turned around in these woods up here and we knew you were in the area so we thought we might ask you for directions." She hesitated. "That is if you don't mind the intrusion."

David smiled. "No, no of course not. Any friend of my mother's is a friend of mine. Please come in." He stepped back, waving them forward.

Emma bit her tongue to keep from saying something incredibly stupid and stepped into her father's house. The walls were painted a deep blue, the same color as the outside trim. A flight of stairs with a white bannister ran up to the second story directly from the entry. Peering to her left, Emma noted a large, comfortable living room, with cheerful yellow walls and tasteful pictures scattered throughout. Once again, the lacy white curtains jumped out at her and a strange fear settled in her heart.

"Won't you both excuse me just a moment?" David asked politely and then he disappeared into the hallway that led past the stairs.

Emma moved slowly into the living room, feeling like she was in a dream. Mary Margaret simply stood and continued staring down the hall.

"Mom. You can't stare. You're blind..." Emma whispered without turning back around. She curiously ran her hand across the thick binding of a photo album lying on the coffee table.

Mary Margaret sighed and turned to follow her daughter. She sat down on the couch rigidly. "I don't know what to do."

Emma hesitated. "Neither do I." She slowly flipped open the album and her next words caught in her throat.

 _This is wrong. This is wrong._

"Do you think that there's a way to get him to remember me, even before we break the curse?" Mary Margaret was saying somewhere in the background.

 _This has to be a mistake. This is wrong._

"Mom..." The word came out as little more than a hoarse croak and Emma tried to swallow to give herself enough moisture to speak. She needed to warn Mary Margaret. She needed to tell her about his horrible, awful mistake before...

"Ah, ladies," David was coming back around the corner, looking pleased with himself. "I just realized that I forgot to ask for either of your names."

Mary Margaret twisted her ring. "My name is Mary Margaret. And this is my daughter, Emma."

David smiled. "Well, you both already know my name, obviously. But I'd like to introduce you to someone you don't know." He stepped fully into the room followed by a tall, slender woman, blonde hair falling softly over her shoulders and a shy smile on her face.

"Kathryn, this is Mary Margaret and Emma, friends of mom's," David said, wrapping his arm around the woman's waist. "Ladies, this is my wife."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for everyone who has read and reviewed so far! I'm glad you guys are excited for this story! I would also like to apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. I've had a busy couple days. Don't worry though, I have so many ideas for this fic; it's not going to disappear anytime soon. :)

For those of you who asked, yes Henry does exist and he shall be making an appearance very soon! As for his family backstory in this AU... well you can't expect me to reveal everything all at once. ;)


	4. Welcome To Storybrooke, Part 3

A/N: To my concerned readers, don't be too hard on poor Mary Margaret! She has, in fact, been searching for David for twenty-eight years. However, if you'll remember from the show, outsiders weren't able to enter Storybrooke until after the curse was lifted. There were a couple of exceptions of course (Henry, Ingrid, etc.), but this is not the norm. And because outsiders couldn't get into Storybrooke, information about Storybrooke didn't get out to the outside world. So no matter how hard Emma and Mary Margaret searched, they weren't able to find David or any of the other inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest. Until fate led them right to Storybrooke of course. :)

And no worries, Mary Margaret and David belong together. They just have to get past this pesky curse first!

* * *

Mary Margaret was vaguely aware on some level of Emma's voice rising and falling in a smooth cadence nearby. It mingled with another feminine voice before both voices moved off into the distance. But this was hardly as important as the man standing in front of her.

It was with the greatest effort that she kept her head still, staring straight ahead to complete the illusion of blindness. She focused on the red flannel shirt he was wearing, unbuttoned to reveal a faded grey T-shirt underneath. She let her eyes travel up as far as they could without actually moving her head, taking in the contours of his familiar body; the way he crossed his arms that told her he was smiling, the slight contraction in his stomach as he took a deep breath...

"Is... coffee alright with you?"

"I... what?" The muffled quality of the air seemed to shatter at the sound of his voice, his words piercing the shadowy cloud that had fallen over her subconscious.

He sat down; not on the couch beside her, but on the coffee table facing her; so that there knees were almost touching. "Kathryn and Emma went to get coffee, but you didn't say if that's what you would like... I mean, we have other stuff if you would like something else. Some hot cocoa maybe? Or are you more of an apple cider girl?"

"Hot cocoa, definitely," she said automatically. Then blushing furiously, "I mean, I prefer that over cider. But no, coffee is fine. I mean, yes... I mean..."

He grinned at her. "It's okay, I knew what you meant."

She sighed and managed to squeeze out a little smile of her own. He was so close to her now. If she could just lean forward and work a little magic on him with True Love's Kiss...

But was that even an option right now? The curse had provided him with a lovely little marriage and she had a terrible feeling that making out with a married man wasn't going to get her or Emma any closer to breaking the curse. Still, her skin was itching from the need to just reach out and touch him. She could feel that electricity that they'd always seemed to have with each other. It was like a living being, zipping through her veins and bridging the gap between them with a crackle and a flash of sparks. She let out a long breath through her nostrils, feeling the vein in her temple beginning to throb. How in the world was she supposed to even begin going about this?

"So tell me how you knew my mother," David said suddenly. He was still looking at her with that honest, straightforward look she knew so well. "Did you work with her?"

"Not exactly. She was actually my obstetrician while I was pregnant with Emma," Mary Margaret said, the words spilling out on their own accord just as they had earlier on the porch. She realized that she was banking hard on the assumption that the curse hadn't been able to supply them all with fully detailed false memories and that whatever reasonable story she could make up about David's mother, his cursed memory would fill in the blanks. She held her breath to see if she had been correct.

"Well now," David said softly. He shook his head with an air of fondness. "Mom was perfect for that occupation you know? Always wanted to do something where she could bring good news to people..."

Mary Margaret let out the breath she'd been holding. "Yes. Yes, that does sound exactly like your mother." She felt herself relaxing a little despite herself as the memory of her final days with Ruth, and the woman's ultimate sacrifice for Emma's sake, seeped into her mind.

"I used her name, by the way," Mary Margaret said suddenly and too loudly in the quiet of the living room. She didn't even have to look to feel David's stare burning into her and she shrank back into the cushions a little ashamedly. "I mean... I hope that's okay... She was just such a good influence on me and... and a help when I needed it and..."

David coughed politely. "It's nice of you to speak well of her, but I'm afraid I'm not following. You used her name?"

Mary Margaret blushed again. "For my daughter. I decided to use Ruth for a middle name. I hope... I hope you don't mind."

David cocked his head to one side with a funny look on his face, but his voice was soft and warm as he replied, "No. No, I don't mind at all."

Mary Margaret tried to ignore the flood of emotions that rushed through her brain and threatened to push her straight over the edge into insanity.

David suddenly grew still. "You make it sound as though she helped you a lot."

"Oh yes. Without her... I don't know if I would have had the courage to raise Emma."

David looked down at his hands and then back up at Mary Margaret. "Would you mind me asking a personal question?"

If only he knew the amount of personal conversation she desperately needed to have with him!

"Of course not."

"What happened to Emma's father?"

The unexpected direction hit her like a punch to the gut. The words that had been flowing so naturally before cut off abruptly, as if someone had thrown a switch. She could only sit, stiff as a ramrod, and stare at him.

She could see from the instant look of fear and worry on his face that he regretted his question. "I'm so sorry, that's really none of my business. Please, forgive me." He twisted his fingers together, his gaze growing more frantic as he continued to stare at her. "Mary Margaret, I'm very sorry. That was completely uncalled for. I'm so sorry."

Mary Margaret slowly realized that she was shaking. Her entire body was vibrating with the effort to hold back the tears and the pain and all the words that she had been building up to say to this man, to her husband, for the past twenty-eight years. Now she was so close to getting him back. Only a few days away from the reunion to end all reunions. And she was about to spoil it all because she couldn't keep her mouth shut.

She stood up instead and took a few steps away from the couch, trying to find a space to breath where she wasn't drenched in the scent of him. David remained seated on the edge of the coffee table, following her movements with careful scrutiny.

Finally, Mary Margaret turned back towards him. "No, I'm sorry... I just haven't thought about him in... some time..." Not exactly the truth, but not exactly a lie either. "The circumstances of our... separation... aren't something I like to think about. It wasn't the way either of us wanted it to turn out, but... I suppose that's life isn't it?"

David smiled sympathetically at her and stood up to cross over to her. "I suppose so."

She nervously watched as he drew closer and laid gentle hands on her shoulders. "I think you should be very proud of yourself, Mary Margaret," he said quietly. "Raising a child alone can't be easy... But it looks like you did a good job of it."

She allowed herself the warm feeling that started to brew in the pit of her stomach. He might not know the significance of what he was saying, but she did and it meant more to her than anything else he could have chosen to talk about.

Just as unexpectedly as his compliments, he reached up and pulled the sunglasses from her face. She found herself staring unblinking, into his deep blue eyes. She could feel the intense, familiar pull of his mind trying to search her own, probing out her secrets.

"It must have been doubly hard for a blind woman to be a single parent," he said wryly. He held the glasses loosely and let his hand fall limply to his side. "Why the act? What are you trying to pull here?"

Mary Margaret swallowed hard, yanking herself away from the burning fierceness of that gaze. "I..." She glanced quickly towards the hallway, but Emma and Kathryn's voices were still little more than murmurs from behind the wall separating them from the kitchen. Whatever Emma was discussing with Kathryn was keeping her well out of the way. For now.

Mary Margaret looked back at David's earnest expression and suddenly felt something break inside her. She couldn't do this. She couldn't keep up a constant lie to the man she loved while Emma took her time trying to figure out how to break this curse. Not, that she blamed her daughter; no one knew how to go about breaking this curse, much less how long it would take. But Mary Margaret and David couldn't keep secrets from one another. She needed to find some way to be at least semi-honest with this man, else she would drive herself off a cliff before the day was out.

She closed her eyes and let out a slow, measured breath. "David... I trust you. I know that won't make much sense to you, but I trust you. And right now I'm going to explain some things to you that almost no one else on earth knows about." She opened her eyes and returned his stare. "So I need you to promise me that you will keep everything I say completely confidential."

She noticed the quick dart of his gaze in the direction of the kitchen and she bit her tongue in disgust and pain at the notion that he was considering consulting Kathryn first. But he shook his head. "You can trust me to keep a secret. I promise."

Mary Margaret, not sure if she could get the story completely out while looking him straight in the eye, fixed her stare on one of the pictures displayed on the wall on the opposite side of the room.

"I'm in what I guess you could call a... a witness protection program." She tried to remind herself that this was the story Emma had decided would work best. That this wasn't anything as horrible as lying...

"I was an elementary teacher before... I was the only one who lived that night when one of my fellow employees came into the school... with a gun..."

David laid a comforting hand on her shoulder and she had to bite her lip to keep from screaming at herself, at Emma, at the world for making her lie to him.

"You don't have to tell me all of it," he said softly. He handed the sunglasses back to her and she shakily slid them back over her eyes.

Suddenly the sound of laughter from the kitchen started growing louder as Emma and Kathryn made their way back towards the living room. Mary Margaret shot a frantic look at David's pensive face.

"Will you tell her?" she whispered.

He didn't answer. Instead he took his hand away from her shoulder and reached for her hand. Too surprised to draw her hand away she followed his gaze to where it rested on her ring. Her head shot back up. His eyes had a faraway dazed look in them, like he was trying to remember something.

"Coffee's all ready," Kathryn announced, turning the corner with a tray of brightly colored mugs as well as small bowls of sugar and cream. Emma followed close behind with the coffee pot and a slightly concerned look on her face.

David stepped away from Mary Margaret and she resisted the urge to keep holding on to his hand. He smiled at his wife. "Perfect timing, sweetheart." He nodded towards Mary Margaret. "I was just describing the lay-out of the room to Mary Margaret."

"Oh, I'm dreadfully sorry," Kathryn said, a slight blush creeping into her thin cheeks. "I didn't even notice at first that..."

"It's alright," Mary Margaret said quickly. Her heart was thumping like a jackhammer against her ribs. "You'd be surprised how often even _I_ forget I'm blind."

David gave her a sidelong glance and she detected the admiring twinkle in his eye before he turned back to his wife to help her pour the coffee. Mary Margaret forced herself to take deep breaths, slowing her heart rate. For now, David was on her side.

She would never be entirely sure how she made it through the rest of the morning. Aimless small talk was something that both she and Emma had perfected over the years, but today every word felt like burning coals on her tongue. She let Emma carry more than her fair share of the chit-chat and she withdrew into the corner of the couch to combat her own stormy thoughts. The only thing keeping her anchored to reality was the warmth of the ceramic mug between her hands and the fact that every so often David would cast a worried look in her direction.

By the time the coffee was gone and all pleasantries had been exhausted, Mary Margaret felt numb. A strange haze enveloped her surroundings and she let Emma lead her to the front door, not even sure if she had managed to thank Kathryn for the refreshments. They had barely made it down the front steps when she felt her legs start to give way.

"Hang on, Mom," Emma's voice came from a distance. She felt her daughter's strong arm wrap around her shoulders and hold her upright. "Let's get you back to Granny's."

Mary Margaret tried to hold the tears back as she slid into the car so Emma wouldn't have to witness another break down. She was supposed to be helping her with all this curse and Savior business. They were supposed to be in this together, mother and daughter out to save the world...

She laid her head down on the dash and began to weep.

* * *

Emma stood in the street in front of the bed and breakfast, trying not to replay the heartrending sobs that had come from her mother as they'd driven back. She'd pulled herself together by the time they'd pulled up in front of Granny's, but it was obvious that it was going to take Mary Margaret time to recover from all the new information. Emma hadn't pushed her. She wanted to ask if her mom had gotten a chance to talk to David about anything important while Emma had been distracting Kathryn in the kitchen. She wanted to know if Mary Margaret had picked up any clues on how to break the curse. But instead she helped her mother up the stairs to their room and let her collapse on the bed.

And now Emma was back out on the street, twirling a baseball bat in one hand and asking herself one last time if she'd really thought this through.

 _Yes. It's time to get this party started._

Giving herself a firm nod, she hoisted the bat over one shoulder and swung with all her might into the windshield of her bug.

Tiny fragments of glass flew from the point of impact as a spiderweb of cracks appeared. Emma threw all her weight into the next swing, breaking though the windshield and making the yellow bug shudder under the blows. She moved her attention next to the hood, leaving sizable dents before moving on. She circled the little car like a lion stalking its prey, giving no mercy. Every window received special attention, as did the steering wheel and dashboard. Finally, she thrust the bat into the front passenger window and walked away, leaving the handle sticking out at a crazy angle.

Emma turned the corner and leaned against the side of Granny's, giving herself a full two minutes to catch her breath. The supper crowd would be here soon and despite the fact that Granny and Red had been too busy in the kitchen to notice the car murder going on out front, Emma doubted that every citizen of Storybrooke would be as oblivious.

She stepped back out onto the main street and pulled her cell phone out with trembling hands, dialing the number she'd already programmed into her system.

"Graham? It's Emma..."

It was time to employ her long favored strategy when it came to finding bad guys. Let them come to you.

* * *

Emma craned her neck to watch as the tow truck began to pull away from the diner with her bug in tow.

"Emma." She forced herself to look back at Graham, sitting across from her. He nodded at her untouched sandwich.

"You should eat."

Emma shook her head. "How can I eat when someone here clearly has it in for me and my mom?"

Graham tapped his notepad thoughtfully. "You don't know that. It could just be some crazy teenager. You say you left the car unlocked while you went upstairs?"

Emma put her head down in her hands. "Yes. I know, probably the stupidest thing I've managed to do in forever..."

"I didn't say that," Graham sighed. He made a show of writing something down on the pad. "And the baseball bat... That's yours?"

"Yes," Emma said. She poked her sandwich and frowned. "I keep it in the back seat in case I ever... run into trouble..."

Graham made another note and flipped his notebook closed. "Don't worry, Emma. It's probably nothing."

"I know, it's just... I didn't think trouble would follow us out here... Into the middle of nowhere..."

Graham gave her a tight-lipped smile. "You'd be surprised at how many people around here don't appreciate the presence of..."

"Visitors?"

Both Emma and Graham turned to face the source of the voice. The front door clicked shut behind her as she stepped in and scanned the diner regally. Everything about her from the way she held her head high to the way her heels clicked against the tiled floor screamed "I'm better than you!" As the newcomer's stare settled on Emma, the Savior didn't flinch. She held the woman's gaze evenly, hoping her challenge was clear in her eyes. A shadow of displeasure flitted across the woman's face and she quickly made her way over to the booth.

Graham sighed wearily. "Emma, may I introduce Mayor Regina Mills? Regina, this is Emma Swan."

Regina looked Emma up and down. "What brings you to Storybrooke, Ms. Swan?"

Emma raised her eyebrows at the curt tone. "My mother and I were just passing through on a weekend trip. But it appears that will have to be postponed for a while..."

Regina flashed the coldest smile Emma could have imagined. "I sincerely hope not."

Without waiting for a response, the mayor turned to Graham. "How long will it take for Ms. Swan's car to be repaired?"

Graham shrugged noncommittally. "I'm not an expert in that field. I'll have to go ask Michael or Billy."

"Well, please see to it that our visitors' car is given every attention from the garage. I certainly don't want to delay their return to their own lives any more than necessary."

Emma didn't even bother to disguise the sarcasm in her voice. "Thank you for your generous hospitality, Madam Mayor..."

Graham shot her a warning glance, but before anything more could be said, a childish voice came from the doorway.

"Mom?"

Regina closed her eyes and blew out a frustrated breath. "Not now, Henry."

"But I thought we were having supper together."

Emma twisted to look around Regina at the young boy standing shyly by the door. He kept his thumbs hooked under his backpack straps as he shifted from one foot to the other.

"Hey, kid," she said, in some confusion. The book had never mentioned anything about Regina having a child. Granted, this kid was no more than six or seven years old; too young to have made an appearance in the Enchanted Forest.

Henry smiled and gave her a little wave back and something in her heart jumped. Something about his eyes...

"Ms. Swan."

Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she leaned back and returned her attention to Regina.

"I trust that you'll understand when I ask you to mind your own business," Regina said with a smile that seemed more like a sneer.

Emma ground her teeth together. "Of course... I was just trying to be polite..."

"What's your name?"

Emma hid a smile as Regina visibly jumped at the sound of Henry's voice directly at her side. The kid was sneaky.

"Henry!" Regina scolded. "Go wait outside, please."

Emma ignored the seething glare of the Evil Queen and held out her hand. "My name is Emma Swan."

Henry squinted at her carefully as he shook her hand. "Good name."

There it was again; an agitated jump of her heart into her throat, threatening to choke her. Henry seemed to feel her tenseness and he dropped her hand.

"I should go wait outside before my mom gets mad," he said, as if Regina wasn't towering blackly over him. He hooked his thumbs back under his backpack straps and skipped lightly out the door, garnering fond looks from several of the other customers. Apparently, Henry was a well-liked kid.

His mom on the other hand...

Regina folded her arms, face a tight mask of anger. "Forgive my son's forwardness, Ms. Swan. I assure you, _it won't happen again._ "

Emma gave Regina a little nod, thoughts swept far away from the diner for the moment. She didn't even notice when the mayor stiffly made her way through the tables and out onto the street. She was too busy trying to retrieve a very specific memory...

" _Emma_ , did you say?"

Emma blinked and turned to an older man sitting at one of the tables nearby. His suit and the decorative cane leaning against his chair were enough to tell her that this man was probably wealthy enough to control more of the town than the Mayor.

"Yes..." she said slowly. She glanced at Graham for support, but the sheriff was talking quietly on his cell phone.

The man smiled. "What a lovely name," he said softly. The gleam in his eyes suddenly intensified and Emma found herself looking anywhere but directly at him.

"And who would you be?" she asked.

"The name's Gold," he said.

"Bad news, Emma," Graham said, pocketing his cell. "That was Michael Tillman from the garage. He says it could take up to a week to fix the frame damage on your car."

"Well, it looks like you'll have enough time to enjoy all that our fine town has to offer," Gold said, standing and leaving a substantial tip on the table. He paused and gave a courteous bow in Emma's direction. "I look forward to seeing you around, Ms. Swan."

Emma leaned back to watch the man make his way out of the diner. "Who was that?"

Graham gave a wry smile. "Mr. Gold. Practically owns the town. He's an odd one. Seems to have taken a liking to you though."

"Yeah..." Emma got up to head over to the bed and breakfast and share the news with her mother, but she couldn't shake the remembrance of Mr. Gold's shining eyes.

Or of another keen gaze from a much younger acquaintance.

* * *

Regina held tightly to Henry's hand as she marched him back across the street to the car. She wasn't sure what it was about Emma that had her so on edge, but she was positive that the sooner the stranger and her mother were out of Storybrooke, the better for all.

"Look, mom!"

"Not right now, Henry," Regina muttered. She yanked open the car door with more than the necessary force and tried to calm herself. There was no use in losing her temper in front of her son. He was already going through a bit of a rebellious phase and making a scene would only destroy what little credibility she had with him. Maybe she shouldn't have started sending him to those weekly sessions with Dr. Hopper...

"But mom! The clock!"

"Henry. I need you to..."

 _The clock?!_

Regina spun and her jaw dropped. The immovable clock hands, the symbol of all she had accomplished and all her greatest triumphs, were moving. The clock that had been frozen for twenty-eight years at 8:15, now unconcernedly showed the time of 8:16, as if by doing so it wasn't tearing down Regina's world around her.

Henry grinned up at her. "It finally works!"

Regina was going to murder that cocky blonde.

"Get in the car, Henry," she said, a bit harsher than she meant to. Surprisingly, he clambered into the backseat without further argument.

Regina looked back across the street at the lighted windows of Granny's Diner. Inside, she could see Emma standing up from her booth and exchanging a few words with Graham before heading towards the adjoining door to the bed and breakfast. Regina narrowed her eyes at the woman. Yes, Emma Swan would never know what hit her.

"Welcome to Storybrooke, Ms. Swan," Regina whispered.


	5. Reading Between The Lines

**A/N** : A thousand apologies for the long absence. I ended up getting a job at a girl scout camp for the summer which, while amazing, sadly takes away most of my time. "Most" meaning pretty much all. But today I had my first day off and updating this fic was on my list of things to get done today! So here I am. I will note here that my next day off will be the 21st, so don't expect an update until that day.

 **charmingsmills** : I'm so glad that you're liking the story so far! And thank you so much for your compliments! I'm glad to hear that the characters seem to be staying true to themselves. :) I absolutely love writing all of Henry's interactions with everyone, but especially with both Regina and Emma. I've always thought, even in the early seasons of the show, that Henry did truly love Regina and that she loved him. By the time Emma comes to Storybrooke in the show universe there are just obstacles in the way of Regina and Henry's relationship. We'll see if those same obstacles appear in this verse...

 **Guest** : Yes, despite her unaging beauty, Mary Margaret is now 28 years older than David. Which is no doubt going to cause a lot of angst later on... You've all been warned.

* * *

Regina ignored the cool breeze biting her exposed skin. It was the kind of breeze that signaled the changing of the season, the real first hint of winter. Regina didn't like change.

"Hey, how 'bout that?" Archie's voice at her shoulder made her jump. She irately turned to the overly-cheerful psychiatrist who was gazing up at the clock face, just as she had been. "Guess those rusty old innards finally straightened themselves out, huh?"

Regina considered making an icy comment and a dramatic exit, but she thought better of it. Besides, her mind was far too occupied at the moment. She looked pointedly across the street towards Granny's, as if her eyes could bore through the walls and into the unwanted guest.

"Yes. How 'bout that, indeed."

* * *

Emma yawned and stretched, being careful not to hit her mother who was curled up peacefully on the other side of the queen-sized bed. The morning sun was just beginning to filter in through the closed blinds and Emma allowed herself a few moments to soak in the warmth of the rays. The day promised to be busy enough once it got started. These few precious moments of peace would soon disappear. So it was best to enjoy them while they...

Knock, knock, knock.

Emma rolled her eyes and slid out from under the covers. Despite her efforts, Mary Margaret raised a tousled head from her pillow and cast her a confused glance.

"Em?"

"Shh.." Emma sent her a warning look. "Pretend you're still asleep."

Mary Margaret didn't argue and plopped her head back on the pillow. Emma wasn't entirely sure that her sleeping was fake.

The knocking came again, a little more agitated this time. Emma took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, preparing for the worst.

She was glad she had when the door swung open to reveal Regina's plastic smile. Emma's gaze dropped to the basket of apples Regina held.

"Did you know the honey-crisp tree is the most vigorous and hardy of all apple trees? It can survive temperatures as low as forty below and keep growing. It can weather any storm. I have one that I've tended to since I was a little girl. And to this day, I have yet to taste anything more delicious than the fruit it offers."

The mayor paused, seemingly to take a breath and also to extend an apple to Emma.

Emma stared at the proffered fruit as if it were a snake.

 _What is this? Some kind of weird irony? Is she really going to try to poison me already?_

Regina's smile wavered and before Emma could decide what to do she tucked the apple back into the basket.

"Not an apple fan then. I'm sorry to have offended you, Ms. Swan."

"No, no, I just..." Emma wasn't sure what she just. She was still trying to decide exactly what the Evil Queen was playing at here.

She noticed Regina's eyes straying past her as if trying to see into the room. A tingling feeling of danger crept along her spine and she decided to move the conversation fully into the hallway. She stepped out and shut the door behind her.

Regina arched her eyebrows. "I didn't mean to intrude on your privacy, Ms. Swan."

"Of course you didn't," Emma said smoothly. "But maybe it would be better if you left. I do have a lot to do today..."

"Yes. I can imagine that making sure your car is repaired will be your top priority. You'll get all the cooperation from us that you need. I'm sure we'll all feel better once you're on your way home."

Emma couldn't stand the woman's honey smooth voice any longer. "Actually this town isn't so bad. We're thinking of staying a while."

Regina's eyes flashed and Emma had to bite back a smile at getting under the dear mayor's skin.

"I would be careful not to make any hasty decisions, Ms. Swan..."

"With all due respect, Madame Mayor, the fact that you have now threatened me three times in the last twelve hours makes me wanna stay more."

Regina glared. "Since when were apples a threat?"

"I can read between the lines," Emma said with a sigh. "Look, I really don't understand what I ever did to you that made you want me out of town so badly. We just met last night, for crying out loud."

Emma could see the tic in Regina's jaw as the mayor tried to decide her next move.

"You're right," she finally said. Emma wondered how much physical pain Regina was in right now. Even if the apology was the most fake thing Emma had ever heard. "I'm just not very... trustworthy when it comes to outsiders."

Emma leaned against the door and crossed her arms. "Just stay out of my way and I don't think we'll have any problems. If you catch my drift."

The heat in Regina's eyes could have incinerated an ice cube and for a split second Emma doubted her own boldness.

Regina took a step towards Emma. "Don't underestimate me, Ms. Swan. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

She spun and disappeared back down the stairs to the main floor. Emma let out a long breath and felt herself go limp against the door.

 _It's a good thing she doesn't have her magic right now._

* * *

Regina admired the majestic spread of her one tree orchard, as she liked to think of it. Ever since she'd been little, gardening had been one of her favorite things to do. She could spend hours outside with the sun on the back of her neck and her hands in the dirt. Somehow her favorite project though had always been the apple tree. True, you didn't see the fruits right away, but sometimes the sweetest treats came to those who waited.

Regina reached up to pluck a low hanging apple just as a familiar voice hailed her from the fence.

"The Mirror strikes again!" Sidney crowed.

"You're late," she noted wryly, without deigning to look at him.

The reporter hastily amended his triumphant entry. "Sorry. I wanted to bring you the latest edition." He handed her the folded newspaper with a photo of the sabotaged bug emblazoned on the front page.

Regina disgustedly scanned the lengthy article. "I don't care who did this to her car. That's literally the least of my concerns right now, Sidney."

She threw the newspaper at him, causing the man to jump back a few feet.

"Don't bring that trash around here again," Regina said sharply. She wasn't sure why she hadn't designed her curse to get rid of the Genie's pesky obsession with her. She certainly hadn't asked to have a daily edition of The Mirror hand delivered to her by Sidney every morning. She went back to admiring the rosy skin of her apple.

Instead of leaving however, Sidney shoved his hands in his pockets and shuffled a little closer. When Regina realized that he hadn't yet made a getaway she gave a frustrated huff and turned on him.

"What?"

Sidney looked at his feet a little sheepishly. "I know that you want the Swan girl and her mom gone. And I think that I can help you with that if you give me the chance."

Suddenly Regina was listening.

Sidney continued, "I have resources, Madame Mayor. I can try to dig something up on them. Something that would make them want to get out of town. Or make everyone else want them to get out of town."

Regina bit her lip. Psychological warfare had never been her game. That was more her mother's style. Still, this was a different world than the one she'd grown up in . Here there was no easy way to come blazing in with fireballs and curses and come out the other side the victor.

Regina smiled at Sidney, remembering a time that now seemed a very long time ago, when this man had pledged his undying loyalty to her.

"Would you do that for me, Sidney?"

"Anything."

 _Some things never change._

* * *

Emma let Mary Margaret slide into the booth across from Graham before she sat down herself. Graham looked a little surprised, but he didn't comment on their sudden appearance.

"Morning," Emma said cheerfully. She nodded at his coffee. "How much for one of those?"

"Ask nicely and it's on me," he said, giving her a quick wink that gave her an odd feeling in her stomach again. Her mother elbowed her and she cleared her throat quickly.

"I'm flattered, but I'm not here to flirt," she said quickly.

 _Now that sounds stupid, even to me._

Graham only gave her a grin and went back to reading his paper. Emma curiously craned her neck so she could make out the picture of the twisted mess of her bug. She sighed and leaned back. Necessary or not, hurting that car was like cutting her own arm off. The less she was reminded of the damage, the better.

"Emma," Mary Margaret hissed impatiently. "I'm hungry."

"Oh right! Sorry." Emma straightened up and waved to Red, no Ruby, who came hurrying over to their booth. As Emma ordered breakfast platters and coffee for both of them, her eye kept straying to a solitary figure seated in a booth near the front window. Although his face was turned away, the shaggy brown hair and slight little bouncing movement gave away his identity. A wild hunch popped in her head and she seized on it.

"Oh, um, Ruby," Emma said, catching the waitress before she could flounce away. "Could you take a hot cocoa over to Henry? With cinnamon in it?"

Ruby gave her a genuine smile. "With pleasure, Ms. Swan."

Graham cocked an eyebrow at her. "With cinnamon?"

"What?" Emma said defensively. "It's good."

Mary Margaret leaned her elbows on the counter. "I agree. No other way to drink hot cocoa."

Graham rolled his eyes resignedly. "Looks like I'm outnumbered. Who am I to question the odd quirks of a pair of lovely ladies?"

Emma smirked as Mary Margaret faintly blushed. Neither of them made a point of hanging around men very often. Especially not ones who were so free with their compliments.

Emma noticed Ruby making her way back to the booth with coffees and Henry's hot cocoa. Emma slid out from behind the table to intercept her.

"I'll take this over to him," she said with a grin. Carefully, balancing the steaming hot mugs, she made her way up the young boy and seated herself across from him.

Without a word of introduction she plopped the cocoa down in front of him and watched him with a raised eyebrow. Henry pushed aside his comic book and sniffed the drink.

"I didn't order this."

"I did," Emma said. She watched with amusement as Henry's tongue darted out to lick the frothy whipped cream off the top.

He smacked his lips, not breaking eye contact with her. "You guessed I like cinnamon."

This time Emma didn't back away from his gaze, letting him probe her. "I like cinnamon too..."

Henry blinked and stared at her a little harder. Then without warning he shoved himself out of the seat and hoisted his little backpack over his shoulders.

"I need to get to school," he said. He paused and gave her another careful look. "Do you want to walk with me?"

* * *

Emma watched over Henry with a strangely protective instinct that she couldn't explain. The boy was remarkably intelligent for someone his age ("I'm seven, duh," he'd explained when she'd asked) yet the skip in his step as he made sure not to step on any of the sidewalk cracks lacked none of the boyish enthusiasm a kid his age should have. Although he didn't seem to have any trouble finding things to talk about, right now he was silent. She wished she could look inside his head and see what sort of thoughts were running through it at undoubtedly breakneck speeds.

"Good morning, Henry!"

Emma looked up to see a tall man with red, curly hair coming their way. The dalmatian on a leash that had been trailing behind him pranced forward eagerly to sniff Henry, who had gone very still.

"Hi," he said quietly to the man.

The red head didn't disguise his curiosity as he peered through his glasses at Emma. "Who's this?"

Henry stroked the dalmatian behind the ears, much to the dog's seeming delight. "This is my new friend, Emma."

Emma stuck out her hand, trying to figure out which fairytale character she was about to officially meet. "Emma Swan. You might have read about me in the morning paper..."

"Oh right. Car sabotaged? Well, if I know Sheriff Graham, he'll find the culprit in no time. Oh, my name is Archie, by the way." He shook her hand firmly and she decided she liked this man and his bubbly attitude.

Archie bent down to look Henry in the eye. "Don't forget about our session later Henry, okay?"

Emma was surprised to see a shadow cross Henry's face. She was even more surprised that she was watching the kid close enough to notice such a thing.

"I'll remember," he said softly, not meeting Archie's eyes.

Archie looked as if he were about to say something else, but he merely tightened his lips and straightened to his full height again. "Well, I'm glad that Henry has a new friend," the man said cheerfully. With a polite nod and smile to Emma he moved off pulling his dog with him.

Emma and Henry resumed their walk in silence. Emma watched the boy from the corner of her eye, waiting for the shadow in his eyes to dissipate, but it remained for the next block and a half. Not wanting to probe an open wound, but beginning to grow concerned she cleared her throat.

"Henry?"

"What?"

"Can I ask you some questions about yourself?"

The little boy turned to look at her and once again something behind the hazel eyes squeezed at her insides and pushed her to try and remember another time someone had looked at her like that...

"I guess you can."

She found herself thrown off balance, unsure of where she was going with this. So instead of pursuing whatever had been at the forefront of her mind ten seconds previous, she turned to something that felt relatively safe.

"Why were you at the diner by yourself this morning?"

A slight grin stole over the boy's face. "I came to see you again."

"To see me?"

"Yeah." He looked up at her again. "I think I like you."

Something in her heart fluttered and she took a breath. "Does your mom know you came to see me?"

He shook his head and flashed that contagious grin again. "I was sneaky."

 _Cocky little kid._

But she couldn't help the smile that crossed her own face.

"Well I don't know if you should do that. I don't think your mom..." Emma paused, not sure how to explain the complexities of her and Regina's relationship to Henry.

However, it seemed it wasn't necessary. "My mom doesn't like you," the boy said unconcernedly. He started to skip again. "But she doesn't like a lot of people. She mostly just likes me."

Emma shook her head at his precociousness.

"What?"

"What, what?"

Henry wrinkled his nose. "You make weird faces when you're around me. Why?"

Emma raised one eyebrow and Henry giggled. "Like that!"

Emma forced herself to relax and laugh. "I guess I just have a weird face, huh?"

Henry abruptly stopped laughing and stopped in his tracks. Emma paused and watched him interestedly. Henry reached for her hand and tugged her down until she bent to look him in the eye. His gaze roved across her face and she wasn't sure if she was only imagining the pull at her heart or if the kid's eyes were physically beckoning her to read his mind.

"Nope," he said softly.

"Nope, what?" she breathed, when he didn't elaborate.

"Nope, you don't have a weird face." He let go of her hand and started walking again. "You're really pretty."

Emma wasn't sure why her hand felt so empty as she stood up again.

* * *

 **A/N** : Reviews are appreciated and I will be back in ten days!


	6. Plans

**A/N** : Thank you all for your patience! I know I said I'd have this chapter up by the 21st... Let's just say that migraines tend to put everything else on hold. Try to avoid those if at all possible.

Also, I am impressed with my ability to unknowingly antagonize the Snowing shippers. Especially considering that Snowing is one of my all time favorite couples and to separate them would probably kill me. :D So everyone be patient and bear with me; Snowing will get there happy ending. It just might take a while to get there...

* * *

"Have a nice walk?"

Emma sighed and sank down onto the bed while Mary Margaret watched her from the armchair across the room. Something about the walk with Henry had been... exhausting. She felt like she needed to sleep for another twelve hours. The kid was playing games with her mind.

"Em, are you doing alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled into her pillow.

"Good." Mary Margaret stood suddenly. "I'm tired of sitting around in here, hiding from Regina."

Emma lifted her head slowly. "Mom..."

"What? She's going to catch on to who we are sooner or later. Why shouldn't it be sooner?" Mary Margaret threw her sunglasses across the room with uncharacteristic temper. "I'm not used to letting other people fight my battles, Emma."

Emma clenched her fists and then unclenched them. She knew that this wasn't Mary Margaret's fault. That if anything she should be glad that her mom was showing her feisty side once more, instead of staying huddled under a blanket in bed. But there was no denying that would have made it much easier...

"Mom, please. I know this is hard. But... if Regina doesn't know who we are yet... We should keep it that way as long as possible."

"Emma..."

"No, please listen to me."

Mary Margaret shut her mouth, but her eyes danced with fire as she stared at her daughter. Emma took a deep breath.

"I'm not fighting any battles for you. I'm not even sure what battle I'm supposed to fight at this point! But I do know that I'm the Savior. And if there's any curse breaking to be done, then I'm going to be the one who has to do it."

Mary Margaret folded her arms. "Stubbornness isn't going to help you, Emma. You know that I can be just as stubborn."

"Which is why I'm hoping you'll listen to good sense." Emma sighed. "Mom, I know that you know it's better for you to stay out of the way right now. You're playing a role and it's better if you play it fully right now. Otherwise, people are going to start asking questions that we can't answer."

Mary Margaret stared out the window. It was clear she was done with the conversation.

Emma stood and crossed to stand beside her mother. Granny had offered the pair a room facing the square for no extra charge and Emma was glad. From here, they had a clear view of the main street of Storybrooke. Any comers and goers from the diner could be clearly seen. Which meant Regina was going to have a hard time springing any surprises on them.

"I'm sorry that this is how it's all playing out," Emma whispered. "But I need you to trust me."

"I never said I didn't trust you, Emma."

"I don't know..."

Mary Margaret whirled on her daughter with such furious passion that Emma took a step back.

"Yes, you do know, Emma! I know that you know! Deep in your heart somewhere you know that I can't sit here and do nothing! That I've waited for twenty-eight years to rescue my husband from the curse of an insane witch and that it is impossible for me to sit in a building less than a mile away from him and not do an single thing about it!"

Tears sprang to Emma's eyes, but she dared not interrupt.

"You think that being raised to be the Savior has been hard. That life hasn't been fair to you. That it's your job and your curse to take all the suffering for all of us on your shoulders." Mary Margaret lifted her chin in an unmistakable gesture of pride. "You forget who else walked, step by step, through the same darkness. Who taught you who you were and who you are meant to be? Who never failed in their devotion and their love for you? Who sacrificed everything so that you could find your destiny?"

Emma swallowed thickly past the lump in her throat. "You..."

Mary Margaret's lips quivered and she sat on the edge of the bed. "No, Emma," she said softly, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. "Your father did."

She buried her face in her hands and sobbed quietly as the tears began to trickle from Emma's own eyes. It was all true. David had given them everything by letting them go through the wardrobe and Regina had used the curse as revenge, tainting his loyalty and his faithfulness. Emma curled her fingers into fists, trying to control her anger. The witch had torn their family apart countless times. It was time to make sure that this was last.

Emma's gaze softened as she turned to her mother once again. Mary Margaret had stilled and lifted her eyes, only to gaze blankly out the window. Mary Margaret who had never ran from a fight in her life. Mary Margaret who was a princess and didn't know how to take orders. Emma felt a mixture of pride and weariness flood through her. She wasn't going to win this battle and she wasn't meant to.

She stepped in front of Mary Margaret and held out her hand. Mary Margaret blinked slowly then looked up at her daughter.

"I think I'm in a little over my head here," Emma said shakily. She tried to smile. "I might need some help from a wise old woman."

Mary Margaret didn't grin at the jibe, but she grasped Emma's hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. Emma could see the wheels spinning in her mother's head, replaying the conversation.

"Emma... I know that you're going to save us all. I didn't mean..."

"Shh..." Emma stooped to retrieve the fallen sunglasses and extended them towards her mom. "Please... Just because I'm the Savior... Don't ever stop being my mom."

Mary Margaret took the sunglasses, eyes shining. "What do you need me to do?"

Emma grinned. "I think it's time for you to sweep Prince Charming off his feet."

* * *

Mary Margaret was beginning to grow used to the crowded interior of Granny's diner. It seemed that no matter the mealtime, the cursed residents of Storybrooke flocked to the little restaurant to gossip and break bread together. Although in one way it only served to show just how monotonous their lives were; it also provided her with a small modicum of comfort, bringing back memories of the communal aspect of castle life in the Enchanted Forest. Despite everything, Regina hadn't been able to wipe out every remnant of who they were.

Red stopped by Mary's booth with her sandwich and mug of hot cocoa and after exchanging a few pleasantries and expressing her willingness to assist Mary Margaret if needed, she bustled off to refill water jugs and wipe down the empty tables. Mary Margaret resisted the urge to throw her sunglasses across the room again out of frustration at being treated as if she were helpless. Instead, she took a bite of her ham and cheese, relishing the taste of Granny's food. Without moving her head, she let her gaze wander back to the couple seated at one of the center tables. The man laughed happily and let his hand rest gently on the woman's arm, leaning in close to listen to her chatter. His blue eyes sparkled and he nodded at appropriate points in the conversation; by all appearances, the model husband.

Mary Margaret felt a wave of nausea sweep through her and the bite of sandwich in her mouth turned to ash. Kathryn... Abigail... Sat in her spot. Mary Margaret squeezed her hands into fists in her lap and focused on keeping her breathing even. It should be her seated across from David, soaking up his adoring glances, laughing softly at their shared inside jokes...

Mary could feel the old Snow White rising up inside, the bandit who was never willing to go down without a fight. If the plan that she was about to set in motion was successful, than that fight was about to be won. Her husband, her true love, was about to wake up and see the light. This was the opportunity she'd been hoping and praying for for twenty-eight years. Just to see his face again was a breath of air in a world without oxygen. Now, restoring his memories surely wouldn't be much harder...

"Fancy seeing you here."

Mary Margaret controlled the surprise on her face at David's familiar voice, realizing that she'd zoned out for quite a few minutes. He stood at the end of her table, smiling with what she read as genuine happiness. Her stomach did a little flip-flop.

 _He's happy to see me?_

"David," she managed to get out.

He shifted a little and glanced towards the bathrooms. "Kathryn and I just finished up lunch. She ran to the bathroom, but I thought before we took off I'd come over and see how you were getting along. I noticed you were alone."

Now she could also hear the edge of concern in his voice. Of course he was concerned for her well-being. That was Charming all over.

"Emma... had a few phone calls to make. I'm sure she'll be coming over from our room soon."

"Ah..." He shifted again and folded his arms over his chest. "I heard about the sabotage incident with your car. I'm so sorry you had to go through such a scare."

Mary Margaret shrugged, hoping she wasn't blushing with embarrassment. "I've been through a lot worse. It takes a lot more to scare me."

"I have no doubt. You don't seem easily intimidated."

The way his gaze was burning into her, she wondered if he could see right through her dark lenses. She was trembling. If only she could move closer, whisper all her secrets in his ear, reach up and kiss him like she'd been wanting to for so long...

"Hello, Mary Margaret!" Kathryn exclaimed, walking over while rubbing hand sanitizer vigorously over her palms. "It's so good to see you again."

Mary entertained the fleeting thought that Regina had given Abigail's cursed personality a more charming demeanor expressly to make her jealous.

She forced a smile. "It's nice to run into you, Kathryn." David gave her a skeptical glance and she almost laughed at how he seemed to be able to read her already.

Kathryn didn't seem to notice, absorbed in reading the time on her wristwatch. "Shoot. Honey, I have to run. I'm supposed to do a live-tweeting session in fifteen minutes and I left my phone at home."

She went up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek and then she dashed out the door without a backwards glance. Mary Margaret raised an eyebrow at David who was smirking.

"Kathryn is... uh... very trendy," he said. "She runs a blog, does video chats and live-tweets with her followers, and all sorts of things like that... She tells me she's very popular in the internet world..."

Mary Margaret couldn't help but smile at his tone of voice. "I take it that you yourself aren't very... trendy?"

David gave a wry smile. "I couldn't care less about the difference between Twitter and Instagram, but Kathryn makes sure I'm up to date in all things social media." His smile disappeared. "I'm very proud of her work. She's starting out small, but the income from advertisement sales and such is already picking up. She chose getting married to me over going to law school and she's always been worried that she made the wrong choice. I'm very supportive of her starting this career. It's helping her gain confidence that she can make a difference in the world, degree or no degree."

"She worries she made the wrong choice in marrying you?" The words slipped out of Mary Margaret's mouth before she could stop them. Immediately she bit her lip in agony and watched a shadow pass over David's face.

"No," he said quickly. "That's not at all what I meant." He seemed to realize that he'd raised his voice and he lowered it slightly. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't be telling you all this anyways. It's of a private nature and I'm not trying to go around gossiping about my wife..."

"Oh no, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be prying." But her mind was racing trying to figure out how to steer the conversation in such a way that she could hear that note of doubt in his voice again.

 _What cracks are there in this fake relationship that I can exploit?_

"If you don't mind me asking, what do you do for a living? Since you're obviously not the computer guru of the house."

David's smile returned. "Oh no, my job is much more important. I change lives every day." He winked and her heart melted.

"Oh?"

"Yes." He leaned closer as if he were about to impart a secret of the utmost importance. "I... run the pet store."

He stared at her for a few seconds and then they both burst out laughing. A few of the other customers turned to see what the outburst was about and Mary Margaret felt a warmth in her chest when David didn't even acknowledge the curious stares. It felt good to genuinely laugh for the first time since Emma's birthday night.

David caught his breath and seemed to be thinking something over.

Mary Margaret rocked back in her seat and returned his stare, even knowing that her glasses made it impossible for him to look her in the eye.

"What?" she asked, when he continued to look at her.

"Would you like to come see the pet store?" he asked slowly.

Even her best effort couldn't disguise the enthusiasm in her voice. "I would love to."

He grinned and waved Ruby over to take the dishes away. When Mary Margaret reached for her cane, he offered her his arm. "Please, I think I can show you around town in a better fashion than that."

She smiled and linked her arm through the crook of his elbow. As her knuckles brushed against the bare skin of his forearm, she felt her heart skip a beat and the blood begin to climb into her cheeks again. His sharp, woodsy scent washed over her again. He had forgone the plaid overshirt today and was wearing only a fitted blue T-shirt, the soft material clinging to his muscled form. Her breath caught in her throat and she tried to ignore her quickening pulse.

 _Eyes ahead. Just listen to his voice._

They exited the diner and began to walk at an unhurried pace down the street, the satchel containing Emma's fairytale book bumping gently against Mary's hip with every step. The satchel containing their salvation.

* * *

Graham leaned back in his chair, the disbelief clear on his face.

"So you're saying that the mayor destroyed your car?"

Emma sighed and balled her hands into fists. "That's not what I said, Graham. I'm just letting you know that she made some veiled threats towards me and considering me and my mom's... situation... I thought it would be best to tell you."

Graham returned Emma's gaze sympathetically. "I know that you and your mother must be terrified right now and that's understandable. But I can assure you that Regina is not that kind of person. Her concern is for the safety of the town, nothing more and nothing less."

Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"I didn't mean to insinuate that the mayor would want to... disrupt the peace here," she said carefully. "It's just that..." She paused, strategically.

Graham sat up a little straighter, eyeing her curiously.

"It's just that what, Emma?" he prodded gently.

Emma gnawed on her lip. "I'm really good at reading people, Graham. And I mean, really good."

His eyes widened just slightly. "Is that so?"

 _Good, I'll keep you off kilter, Mr. Smooth._

Emma nodded slowly. "Yes. Maybe it's just from running and hiding for so long or maybe I was born with it. But I can tell when there's just... Something off about a person."

She noted that he wasn't meeting her eyes anymore and she felt a twinge of pain in her heart. Not that she hadn't expected him to have his own dark secrets, but Graham had seemed so... nice...

Emma forced her mind to focus. "Regina is one of those people, Graham."

He met her stare again.

"She's out to get me."

"Emma..."

"Please, Graham... Just help me out a little. I'm not asking you to arrest her or anything. Just tell me what I should know about her. For my peace of mind."

He stared at her for a few long seconds, making Emma's cheeks start to burn. She suddenly noticed how warm it was in the sheriff station. She was starting to wish she'd ditched her leather jacket.

"Grab a seat and I'll fill you in."

The reluctance in his voice was plain. Emma couldn't help but feel that she'd just lost a battle as she pulled the chair up to the desk.

 _Be confident. This is the plan. Find out everything we can about Regina. Figure out what she's hiding._

Emma still wasn't absolutely sure about letting Mary Margaret head off to solve the David problem on her own, but she knew that her mom could take care of herself. And splitting up to attack the curse from two different angles seemed like the wisest choice at the moment. She would just have to trust in true love and Mary Margaret's instincts.

Graham picked up a pencil from his desk and threaded it through his fingers absently. "Coming from the outside world, you might find the dynamics of our little town... quite odd. But I assure you that the way of life people are used to here is one that they are extremely happy with, despite its quirks."

Emma clasped her hands together and leaned her elbows on the desk. "I've lived in small towns before. I understand that it's a whole different world."

Graham nodded gratefully. "It really is. And the mayor... Well, she's really the glue that holds our little family together. The backbone of the town. She comes across strong, but she's had to be strong to be mayor for so long. It takes a lot of will power and determination to run a town."

"How long has she been mayor?" Emma asked.

Graham scrunched his brow and then shrugged. "As long as I can remember. She's been unchallenged in every election. Everyone knows that she has the best head for leadership. She's the type of person that knows how to... command attention."

"Sounds like some sort of twisted monarchy," Emma muttered.

Graham chuckled. "I guess you could think of it that way. But in a place where everyone knows everyone, it's more comforting than anything else, having the same reliable woman in charge."

"Everyone has their role in Storybrooke," Emma said, half to herself.

"Exactly." Graham sighed. "I really am sorry for the cold way Regina has treated you. It's nothing personal. She hasn't had an easy past and Storybrooke is really the only family she has left to protect. Except for Henry, of course."

Emma's mind latched onto the name instantly.

"Henry. He seems like a good kid."

"That he is." A fond light shone through Graham's eyes. "He has one of the most unusual minds... You wouldn't believe half the things he says and does. Wise beyond his years, that boy."

Emma lowered her voice a little. "Where's his father?"

"Not sure. For that matter, no one knows where his biological mother is either. Henry was adopted."

The revelation hit Emma like a ton of bricks. She wasn't sure why it sent her mind reeling, but suddenly her carefully planned path of questioning disappeared. Henry was... adopted?

Graham wasn't paying attention to her stunned silence. "Seven years ago, Regina steps out into public with a brand new baby boy. I remember it like it was yesterday. Everyone was shocked naturally. Regina's never seemed interested in having children. But she took to it like a fish to water. She's been determined to give that boy everything he could ever want and then some." Graham shook his head, smiling at memories. "Funny. I can remember everything I've done with Henry from the time he was baby. I can remember it clearer than anything else I've ever experienced."

Even through the cloud of confusion in her brain, Emma noted this fact and tried to string coherent thoughts together:  
1\. Henry was adopted.  
2\. Henry aged normally.  
3\. Put 1 and 2 together and logically, Henry had to come from the outside world.  
4\. Regina was able to contact the outside world in some way.  
5\. Henry could remember what happened from day to day because he wasn't cursed.  
6\. Interactions with Henry could be remembered.

Emma took a deep breath. This kid might be more helpful than she thought.

"I take it it was a closed adoption?"

"I believe so. Not that Regina has ever been very forthcoming about the whole thing. And not many people cared enough about the specifics to ask." Graham tapped the pencil thoughtfully on the desktop. "Dr. Hopper might know."

Emma thought back to the exchange that had taken place between Dr. Hopper and Henry. "Henry's shrink?"

Graham's smile dimmed. "Yes. Regina started sending Henry to regular appointments a few months ago. Apparently, they've started going through some rough patches. Henry has always been fine with knowing he's adopted, but I guess lately he's starting to... question things."

"And Regina couldn't answer his questions herself?" Emma couldn't quite keep the tightness out of her voice, feeling an unreasonable anger towards the woman.

Graham blinked in surprise. "She's tried, Emma. She wouldn't have turned to Dr. Hopper unless she had exhausted other options first."

Emma bit her tongue and counted to ten. "How does Henry feel about the sessions?"

Graham began to fiddle with the pencil again, not meeting her eyes.

"He's... Getting used to them..."

"He doesn't like them," Emma said flatly.

Graham dropped the pencil. "Look, I understand why you're suspicious of anything and everything, but I promise you that Regina is not some evil villain. She loves this town and she loves her son even more. She's doing what she can to give him his best chance in life. I think the best thing you can do is just stay out of the situation."

Emma flushed bright red. "I'm not trying to butt into anything. I was talking to Henry earlier and the therapy sessions got brought up and he didn't say anything, but... I could just tell he wasn't comfortable."

"You were talking to Henry, huh?" Graham raised one eyebrow. "He seems to have taken a shine to you."

"Really?" She wasn't sure why the comment filled her stomach with butterflies.

Graham took the opportunity to wink at her. "He's not the only one."

Emma's thoughts were so scattered that she almost winked back.

* * *

 **A/N:** And we reach the beginning of the end of the slow build-up! From here on out, things are going to start moving pretty quickly for Emma and Mary Margaret, so tighten your seatbelts. Brownie points for anyone who can guess what Emma and Mary Margaret's plan is for getting David's memories back! My next day off will be July 1st, so expect an update on or very near that day. :) Thank you for always coming back and reading!


	7. Impressions

**A/N** : Dear faithful readers,

Thank you for coming back and reading this update even after I have kept you waiting for so long. You all deserve cookies. And some Snowing fluff. I can provide the latter.

Yes, this chapter did kind of just end up as a big glob of Snowing fluff. But then again, who doesn't like a little fluff? Plus, I felt like you all had waited far too long already. I'll jump back into the plot wholeheartedly with the next chapter, I promise!

Until then, enjoy some feels, courtesy of David and puppy dogs.

As an aside to **Anna Marie Raven:** I'm totally team Regina. I was even in the first season. She makes a phenomenal villain AND hero because of her 3-dimensionalness. (Yep, totally made that word up.) So don't worry, she'll get plenty of character development in the chapters to come!

* * *

Watching David wrestle with puppy dogs was like some sort of surreal dream come to life. Mary Margaret stifled giggles as David allowed the four rambunctious black labs to swarm across his chest, licking his face enthusiastically. Her own hands were already full with the tiny calico kitten David had dumped in her lap before climbing into the pen with the pups. The baby mewed pitifully a few times before setting about batting at the buttons on her blouse. The afternoon sunlight came filtering in through the front windows of the store, casting a golden glow over the cheery scene.

"So... how do you like it?" David asked, pushing himself up off the floor with a grin.

Mary Margaret smiled, stroking the fuzzy head of the kitten lightly. "It really is wonderful, David. I love it."

David carefully hopped over the gate, much to the disappointment of the puppies. He collapsed on the floor next to Mary Margaret's chair and flung one hand dramatically over his forehead. "I am overcome with fatigue, milady. I have been beset by wild beasts and I fear they have driven me to my death. Fare thee well." He fell back with his eyes closed and his tongue lolling out one side of his mouth.

Mary Margaret burst into laughter that was shortly interrupted by an overwhelming desire to sneeze. "Oh, oh... achoo! Sorry, excuse me, I just... oh... achoo!"

David sat up, face serious. "Mary Margaret, you didn't tell me you were allergic."

Mary Margaret leaned back from the kitten in her lap, holding a hand to her nose agitatedly. "It's usually not this bad. It must just... achoo! Must be overpowering... achoo! Overpowering in here... achoo!"

David grabbed the kitten and disappeared with it around the corner. Not twenty seconds later he was back with a bottle of cold water in one hand and a bottle of pills in the other.

"Here. Allergy medication," he said, handing her the two bottles. "I know it's not much, but I keep it around just in case."

Mary Margaret's eyes were streaming and her sinuses felt like they'd been stuffed with cotton so all she did was nod in response. She took a gulp of water along with two pills and tried to take a couple deep breaths.

"Could we... could we stand outside for a few minutes. I just need... fresh air."

David hoisted to her feet faster than she could blink. "Of course. Let's get you out of here."

The cool autumn air was a welcome reprieve. Mary Margaret alternated between taking deep breaths and taking long sips of water from the water bottle as they slowly made their way down the street. David kept up a constant stream of muttering and head shaking as they walked.

"Stop it, David," Mary Margaret finally managed to say.

He glanced over at her in confusion.

"Stop what?"

"You're blaming yourself for my reaction. I knew I was allergic to cats and I didn't tell you so it's my fault. Stop hitting yourself over there."

David frowned and looked ahead. "I still should have had the good sense to take you outside right away instead of just letting you sit in the middle of all that cat hair and keep struggling to breathe..."

"I wasn't struggling to breathe," Mary Margaret interrupted calmly.

 _A little lie to keep him from taking me to the hospital isn't bad, right?_

"Really, David. You've been more than wonderful this afternoon. Don't start getting down on yourself now because I made a stupid mistake. Let's just enjoy the day."

David stopped and looked at her. "Have you enjoyed today, really?"

Mary Margaret twisted the cap on her water bottle, his piercing gaze melting right through her heart. All the words she desperately wanted to say seemed to meld together into one tangled knot in her throat and all she could do was bob her head.

David looked at her a few seconds longer and then looked away and down the street. The red and orange leaves were falling slowly, joining the carpet of leaves on the street and sidewalks. They had strayed from the main street businesses and made their way towards the residential area of Storybrooke. The houses that lined each side of the street were large and well-kept. Mary Margaret recognized David's own neighborhood and she felt a pang of jealousy. This shouldn't be the parting of their ways. She should be able to keep her arm looped in his and walk down the street to the cozy blue house. It should be her starting supper in the kitchen and laughing as David tried to plunk out a tune on the piano in the living room. This was all wrong and she needed to make it right.

She tugged gently at David's arm to grab his attention again. "David, I actually have one more favor to ask of you."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What's that?"

Mary Margaret shifted from one foot to the other, unable to meet his gaze even through her sunglasses. "It's... kind of an odd request. And... a very personal one."

"Okay..." His eyes dropped to the satchel hanging against her hip, as she pulled out Emma's book of fairytales. The engraved words Once Upon A Time flashed briefly in the sunlight as she turned the book towards him.

He gave her a half smile. "What's this?"

"I told you it was going to be an odd request." She took a deep breath. "You know that this isn't the real me. That I'm not really blind. But because of my circumstances I'm stuck pretending to be someone I'm not. And I lose a lot of the things I love playing this game. Even though I know it's for the best it's hard..." She swallowed and took another breath, telling herself to keep the tremble out of her voice.

"What I'm trying to ask is... is... would you mind reading to me? I can't do it without ruining my cover and Emma reads and tries to entertain me, but she gets so tired of it that I thought that if it wasn't too much trouble..."

She trailed off as the look on his face became inscrutable. She could feel the burning of the blood rushing to her cheeks and she hurriedly started to stuff the book back into her satchel. "No, no... I'm sorry. It was such a stupid idea. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be so presumptuous and... You should really be getting home."

David grabbed her arm firmly enough to stop her rambling and propelled her down another street. As they neared the end of the block Mary Margaret was surprised to see a city park ahead. Trees lined the walking paths that wound through the grassy area and closer to the other corner of the park she spotted a children's playground.

"What..."

"Hush," David said. He led her straight into the park, to a bench sitting in a relatively secluded spot. "Sit."

Mary Margaret sat although she couldn't help but grin wryly. "Am I one of your puppies now?"

David crossed his arms and chuckled at her. "I'm going to start treating you that way if you don't stop acting embarrassed every time you talk to me. I'm your friend, Mary Margaret. I want to help you in any way I can. If you want me to read to you, I'm going to read to you. No questions about it."

Mary Margaret's fingers trembled as she reached for her book again. "That... that means a lot, David. Thank you."

He smiled and sat next to her. "Now what is this special book I'm going to be reading?"

Mary Margaret handed it over. "It's one of my favorites. It has all the best fairy tales in it. I used to read it to Emma. A long time ago."

David flipped through a few pages, eyes widening ever so slightly at the beautiful illustrations. "This is gorgeous work. Where did you find this book? It looks pretty old."

Mary Margaret shrugged. "Found it in the back of my closet one day and got it out to amuse Emma. I can't remember how it got there though."

That much at least was the truth. Mary Margaret had a sneaking suspicion that magic had something to do with the unexplainable appearance though. The book had definitely been more than helpful in raising the Savior.

David skimmed over a few more pages, lips moving almost imperceptibly as he read. Mary Margaret tried not to laugh at his old habit and kept quiet as he got an idea of what the book contained.

"Well," he finally said. "These don't seem to be like any of the fairytales I remember as a boy. But they have a very... creative twist to them. I'll say that much."

Mary Margaret smiled. "The story of Snow White and Prince Charming is my favorite."

"Is it now?" he flipped through the pages faster this time, clearly looking for something in particular. It didn't take him long to spot what he was looking for and he laid a finger on the page triumphantly. "Here we are. The story of Prince Charming and Snow White."

"Oh please... you don't have to read that," Mary Margaret said hurriedly. Suddenly, the idea of listening to David read that story... Their story... Was too much. This whole idea was too much. A war of thoughts broke out in her mind. She needed to grab the book and run. She needed David to read their story. She needed to get out of here before something horrible happened. She needed him to remember.

David, unaware of her inner struggles, chuckled and settled back more comfortably on the bench. "Snow White and Prince Charming it is then. Wouldn't want you to miss out on... " He deepened his voice like a TV announcer as he continued, "This week's episode of Once Upon A Time."

Despite the butterflies in her stomach and the raging voices in her head, Mary Margaret managed a weak laugh; enough encouragement for David to start reading aloud. The familiar words washed over her and Mary Margaret leaned back, focused on the sound of her husband's voice. It was out of her hands.

"As the Prince chased the thief on horseback, through the treacherous forest, his betrothed crossed her arms and pouted, wondering how many dreadful, boring minutes it would take until they could resume their journey again. The thief vaulted over a fallen tree... "

The sun danced lower in the sky and the evening chill began to set in as David read. Mary Margaret could have recited every word of the story, but she found herself holding her breath as if hearing it for the first time. She couldn't tell if the emotion resounding in David's voice was a result of him trying to show interest in the book for her sake or if the story was truly moving him. His voice rose and fell, sometimes catching at the tense points before sweetly singing over the more tender moments. Mary Margaret found herself itching to reach out and grab his hand; to do something to show how much the story was affecting her as well. Instead she sat so still that her back began to ache. She didn't dare move her head to try and read David's face. She stared at the lengthening shadows on the grass and relived every moment of her first day with Prince Charming.

"They didn't need words to express what they felt in their hearts, for it was here, in the shadow of the troll bridge, that their love was born, where they knew, no matter how they were separated, they would always-"

David's voice cut off abruptly, with a sharp intake of breath.

Mary Margaret was jerked out of the trance she seemed to have fallen into.

"What?"

David grabbed her hand in such a tight grip that her knuckles cracked, but the fact that her heart was racing a hundred miles an hour distracted her from that detail. She whipped her head towards him and was shocked to see that the blood had drained from his face. His eyes were wide, staring straight ahead of them.

"David! What's wrong?"

He blinked and his eyes suddenly began roving frantically back and forth.

"Did you see that?"

"See... what?"

"I don't know... I..." He noticed his hand latched onto hers and stood up suddenly, breaking their contact. "I'm sorry that was... that was out of line... I just..."

Mary Margaret stood as well, every fiber of being screaming at her to help him remember. To break whatever barrier was holding him back.

"David... What did you see?"

"No, no... It's crazy." He started to pace back and forth in front of her, head in his hands.

"Maybe. But maybe I can help," Mary Margaret pleaded. She reached out and put a hand on his arm, causing him to pause. "Please. Let me help you."

He stared at the ground for a few seconds in silence.

"There was a forest..."

Mary Margaret couldn't breathe.

"I was... hunting... Setting a trap for something..." He looked up at her with eyes wide with fear. "I caught you in a net. You were hanging in the air."

"David..."

"It was so quick. Like a vision or a dream or..."

His voice trailed off as he continued to stare at her. She swallowed hard.

"Or what?"

"Or a memory..."


	8. Remembering

Regina fumbled through the stack of papers on her desk, phone tucked between her shoulder and her ear.

"So you're telling me this is all you could get on them?"

"I'm sorry, Madam Mayor. Digging takes longer than a few hours..."

She straightened in her chair, glaring even though Sidney wasn't physically present. "Don't give me excuses, Sidney! I need more."

"Yes, yes of course! Just give me a few days to work my magic..."

"I'm expecting great things. Don't disappoint me." She hung up without waiting for a reply.

"Mom?"

Regina glanced up at the door to see Henry standing and watching her.

"Hi, sweetie," she said. She turned her attention back to the police reports in front of her. "Have a good day at school?"

"I guess..."

Something about her son's voice made her look up again. He seemed... withdrawn. Not at all like the bouncy, cheerful Henry that usually came to see her after school.

She pushed her chair back, all other concerns momentarily forgotten.

"Is something wrong, Henry?"

"No..." He shuffled his feet and looked down at the floor. "It's just kind of weird..."

"What's weird, hon?" Regina asked, walking around the desk to kneel next to her son. She reached out and placed her fingers under his chin, gently lifting his head until he was looking her in the eyes. "Tell me what's going on. I promise that Mommy can fix it."

A slight smile flitted through his eyes. "I'm not a baby, Mom. I don't call you 'Mommy' anymore."

She grinned and chucked him lightly under the chin drawing a real giggle from him. "No, you're my big grown up boy now. And I know that any problems you have at school are nothing that you can't deal with."

Henry blinked slowly. "It's not trouble at school."

Now she was starting to get really concerned. Not only was Henry being far more reluctant than usual to share information, but he was also encountering trouble outside of school.

"What is it, Henry? Tell me."

His blue eyes were clouded. "I talked to Emma again."

Regina caught the curse that immediately came to her lips. She reached out and placed her hands on Henry's shoulders as he continued.

"I know you told me not to talk to her anymore, but she... She's different, Mom. I don't know why. I had to talk to her."

Regina made sure her breathing was even before answering.

"What did you talk about?"

Henry's eyes widened. "You're not mad."

Regina tried to smile. "Not at you, baby."

That seemed to relax Henry a little. "She walked me to school. We just talked about random stuff..."

Regina squeezed Henry's shoulders once and then stood to go back to her desk. "Don't let her talk you into that again."

Henry looked at his shoes sheepishly. "Actually, I invited her."

"Henry!"

"I'm sorry!" he said quickly. "Mom, I like her. She's nice."

Regina shook her head as she seated herself at her desk again. "I don't want you to be around that woman, Henry. She could be dangerous."

"She's not dangerous."

"Henry..."

"She's not, Mom! I can tell."

Regina sighed and rubbed her temples wearily. "Henry, there's a lot of grown-up stuff going on that you don't understand. You can't go near Emma or her mother. That's my final decision."

"But Mom..."

"Final!"

Henry pressed his lips together and then turned and ran out of the office. Regina listened until she heard the slap of his tennis shoes fade away up the staircase. She glared down at the police report in front of her. She might not be able to pin anything on the elusive mother Swan yet, but the history Sidney had unearthed on Emma... Regina couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. That she might be able to do something with...

* * *

Twilight had just settled over Storybrooke as Emma seated herself at an open booth in Granny's and perused the dinner menu. A quick trip upstairs had shown that Mary Margaret still hadn't returned to the room, but Emma was trying not to think about what possible trouble her mother might have gotten into. She tried to focus again on her spinning thoughts surrounding Henry Mills. She was convinced the boy was key in breaking Regina's curse, but she wasn't sure if that was her logical conclusion based on facts or if he was working some magic of his own on her. She couldn't deny that something about the way he looked at her was spell-binding...

"Hi, Emma!"

Emma jumped and almost swore as Henry seemed to materialize from thin air at her side.

"Holy... kid, you got to warn people before you just show up like that!"

"Sorry.." He slid into the booth across from her. "You looked lonely."

"I..." His warm hazel eyes were boring into her own, turning her brain to mush. "I was."

He grinned. "Good. That means I can stay."

He reached for her menu and she couldn't help but smile back. Then she frowned.

"Does your mom know you're here?"

He blinked at her innocently over the laminated slip. "Yes."

Emma leaned her elbows on the table and raised an eyebrow at her young friend. "You're pretty good, but here's the thing. There's not a lot I'm great at in life, but I have one skill. Let's call it a "superpower." I can tell when anyone is lying, and you, kid, are."

Henry let the menu slip back into the table top. "Please don't make me leave! I snuck out because she was mad at me and... and she'll be here soon anyways. She always brings me out to supper before my sessions with Dr. Hopper."

 _Again with the shrink..._

"Can't I just sit with you until she gets here? Please, Emma?"

He didn't need to beg. He didn't know it, but he already held her heart in his hands. However, the broken note in his voice was enough to make her want to cry. She avoided his eyes and looked over to try and catch Ruby's attention.

"Sure, kid. Why don't we grab an appetizer? I'm sure your mom won't mind."

The plate of onion rings Emma ordered was devoured by the two in short order. Regina still hadn't shown and Emma was tempted to begin questioning Henry about his therapy sessions and what exactly they entailed, but she wasn't sure she wanted to see the light leave his face again. He was humming to himself and swinging his legs cheerfully under the booth, occasionally kicking her in the shins, but she didn't complain. Listening to Henry chatter about school and TV shows and his favorite superheroes made her relax. Maybe an hour from now she'd be battling an evil queen, but for the moment she was safe and happy in a bubble that included only her and Henry.

The front door burst open.

"Emma!"

Emma's gaze shot up to see Mary Margaret, glasses askew, running across the diner. Her cane was no where to be seen and a lump rose in Emma's throat. Before her mother could reach the booth, Emma stood up and caught her arms.

"Mom, what are you doing?" she asked, quietly but firmly, hoping Mary Margaret would catch her undertone and realize that she needed to calm down.

Unfortunately, Mary Margaret understood no such thing.

"He's remembering."

Emma froze. The world around them seemed to slow as she tried to search her mother's eyes behind dark lenses. David, her father, remembered?

"What?" Henry was leaning precariously over the table to hear the conversation.

His voice snapped Emma back to reality.

"I knew it," she whispered breathlessly.

Mary Margaret was still frantic, her breath coming in fast puffs. "I mean he didn't _remember_ remember but..." She ran her hand through her short hair and took a deep breath. "He grabbed my hand."

"He's remembering," Emma repeated.

"Who's remembering?" Henry interjected.

"Somehow I got through to him, I made a connection!" Mary Margaret rushed on. "And then... I think he got scared, he... he left me and just walked away..."

Emma looked down at the satchel still slung over her mother's shoulder. "We should go find him. He has to read to you again."

" _Who's_ remembering?" Henry asked again.

"Who indeed?" came a new voice from the other side of the diner. Emma spun towards the door. Regina had entered the building.

* * *

Regina was seething with rage. A mood like this back in the Enchanted Forest would have set every molecule of air in Granny's diner crackling with dark magic energy. As it was she could barely restrain herself from snatching up the nearest salt shaker and throwing it in Miss Swan's direction. The fact that Henry was here only stoked her anger.

Trying to keep her queenly demeanor intact, she stalked across the room to the infuriating group. Emma was already glaring daggers at her, while Henry had shrunk back into the booth. The elder Swan woman however, wasn't turning around. She seemed to have frozen in place at the sound of Regina's voice. It didn't matter.

 _First things first._

"Henry."

Henry peeked over the edge of the seat again.

"Go wait in the car."

"But Mom..."

"You thought you could hide things from me. That's not okay, Henry. Go to the car."

Henry slipped quietly from the booth and ran out of the diner.

Regina waited a few seconds and then cleared her throat and faced Emma.

"Stay away from my son," she enunciated.

Fire was dancing in Emma's eyes. "Forgive me, Madam Mayor. I just wanted to make sure Henry was okay."

"Okay?! I think I know how to take care of my own son!"

"You might want to be careful, Regina. The more I'm around the kid the more I'm finding cause for concern."

Regina forced herself to lower her voice. "Henry is fine."

 _If Miss Swan is so eager to poke her nose into Henry's concerns, I'll give her something to chase..._

"Any problems he has are being taken care of," she continued.

Emma crossed her arms. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I have him in therapy. It's all under control. Take my advice, Miss Swan, only _one_ of us knows what's best for Henry."

Emma held her stare. "Yeah, I think you might be right about that."

Regina bit her tongue and turned to leave before she completely lost her temper. It wasn't until she was outside and half way across the street that she realized how odd it was that Emma's mother hadn't turned around to face her the entire time.

"Who were they talking about, Mom?" Henry piped up as she started the car.

"What do you mean, Henry?" Regina asked absently, still puzzling over the two Swan women and their strange behaviors.

"Emma and her mom. Someone's remembering things. Who's remembering?"

Regina's startled gaze caught her son's in the rear-view mirror. "Is that what they were saying?"

"Yes." Henry kicked his legs against the seat impatiently. "Who?"

Regina closed her eyes feeling the first wave of real fear sweep through her. "I don't know."


	9. David Falls

Mary Margaret's face was whiter than usual; eerily so.

"Mom, why don't you sit down," Emma suggested calmly. Inside she was boiling. Something was off about the Evil Queen and it wasn't just her desire to see Snow White's head on a plate. No, she was doing something to Henry. And Emma couldn't stand it much longer.

Surprisingly, Mary Margaret sank into the booth without so much as a half-hearted protest. Emma waved Ruby over.

"Two coffees please, Ruby."

"Right away, Miss Swan."

The waitress flounced off to the kitchen while Emma sank to her haunches to look her mother in the eye. "She didn't see your face. It's okay."

Mary Margaret took a shaky breath. "I know."

Emma rocked back and forth from her heels to her toes contemplating her next move. David was remembering, according to Mary Margaret, but Regina seemed to be threatening Henry in some sort of way. Why this seemed like the more immediate problem to Emma, she wasn't quite sure. The kid had gotten under her skin, she knew that.

Then there was the possibility that Henry was the key to saving Storybrooke. She couldn't ignore that.

Mary Margaret took another deep inhale and leaned back against the cushioned seat. Emma furrowed her brow. Her mom was in no shape to go work her magic on David again tonight. Besides the poor guy was probably confused as it was. He might do better if they gave him the night to think things over.

"Mom..."

"Hmm?" Mary Margaret hummed without opening her eyes.

"I think you need to head back up to the room and get some rest."

Mary Margaret opened her eyes and turned to face her daughter. "But... David..."

"You're going to need to be fully alert if you want another chance at helping him remember tomorrow."

Mary Margaret shook her head vehemently. "Emma, I've waited twenty-eight years to get my husband back. I'm not waiting another second if I don't have to."

Emma searched her mother's eyes, seeing the desperation shining past the exhaustion. The warrior overtaking the tired, single mom.

Emma stood and fished in her pocket for money to pay the bill.

"What are you doing?"

Emma smiled and plunked a wad of cash down on the table. "We're going after my dad."

Mary Margaret stood just as Ruby walked over with two steaming to-go cups. "We need to hurry. I don't know how much Regina heard us saying."

Emma accepted her coffee. "Thanks, Ruby. How did..."

"It kind of looked like you were about to head out," Ruby said with a smile and a smack of her gum. "Enjoy, ladies."

* * *

Mary Margaret hadn't actually had time to process what she would say when a frantic looking Kathryn answered the front door. She'd been far too busy replaying the sound of his confused voice...

"... a memory..."

He had been so lost and scared. Her prince was lost without her and she was here sipping coffee. So she really didn't think twice before marching up the front door of the cozy Nolan house and rapping urgently on the door.

However, Kathryn's appearance threw her off and she froze. "Umm..."

"You!" Kathryn latched onto her wrist with a claw-like grip. "Where is he?"

"Excuse me?"

"He hasn't come home yet. It's been eight hours. Eight hours. Where is he?"

"I don't... he didn't come home?!"

Kathryn's face contorted and she shook Mary Margaret's arm so suddenly it almost threw her off her feet. "Are you deaf too? I just said he's not here! What did you do with him?"

Emma was suddenly between the two, somehow sliding Kathryn's vise-like grip from her mother's wrist. "Calm down, Kathryn. What's going on here?"

Kathryn took a step back, red-faced and breathing hard. Mary Margaret noted the puffiness under her eyes.

"David hasn't come home yet. I left him at Granny's after our lunch date... with your mother." She shot a burning glance at Mary Margaret before continuing. "After a few hours I figured he had just got caught up in a conversation about his mom. After six hours I got very concerned. And now it's nearly nine o'clock at night and my husband is nowhere to be found."

Emma reached behind her and squeezed Mary Margaret's hand, keeping her from speaking up. "We had no idea that he wasn't home, Kathryn. In fact, we were coming over to check on him. My mom told me that he seemed quite confused when he left her to head home. We were worried."

Kathryn's brow creased with worry again. "Confused?"

Emma gestured to the inside of the house. "Is it alright if we step inside? Maybe we can figure this out together."

Kathryn bit her lip for a few seconds before backing up and holding the door open for the two women. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little... on edge."

"We don't blame you," Emma replied, ushering her mother through. The warmth of the house swallowed Mary Margaret, but she was already itching to turn around and run out the door into the woods.

"David ended up showing my mother around town this afternoon, since I was busy talking to the sheriff and sorting out our car business. My mom said he was very kind and obliging to escort her around. They parted ways at the park maybe an hour and a half ago and she said he was very... out of it."

"Out of it," Kathryn repeated.

"He seemed to be hallucinating," Mary Margaret said softly. She kept a close eye on Kathryn's face. "Has this ever happened to him before?"

"No never!" Kathryn twisted a strand of her hair around her finger and yanked at it distractedly. "The park isn't far from here. He should have been home ages ago."

Mary Margaret took a deep breath and squared her shoulders ready to suggest heading out to look for him when Emma spoke up.

"Why don't we call the sheriff?"

Mary Margaret whipped her head around to stare at her daughter.

Kathryn blinked. "Do you think that's necessary?"

Emma shrugged. "If David was hallucinating, he was probably confused... he could be lost and wandering a neighborhood not far from here. Having the sheriff out with us to just drive the streets could be useful."

Mary Margaret reached for Emma's hand, in an attempt to communicate her disapproval of involving Graham, but Emma neatly tucked her fingers into her pocket.

Kathryn twisted the strand of hair the other way. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I'm just afraid it will all be a bit silly..."

Emma shook her head and gave a warm smile. "It's never silly to trust your gut, Kathryn. Let's find your husband."

Mary Margaret glared daggers at the back of her daughter's head. Emma shifted uncomfortably and gave a slight cough.

"Why don't you call the station, Kathryn? I'm sure Sheriff Graham would be happy to help set your mind at ease."

Kathryn paused for one more second before nodding quickly. "Alright. I'll be right back." She stepped into the other room as she pulled her phone out of her pocket.

"What are you doing?" Mary Margaret hissed. "We shouldn't be getting Graham involved with this Emma! We just need to go out ourselves."

Emma didn't make eye contact with her mother. "Mom, you're very tired..."

"When did this become about me?!"

"I'm just trying to protect you."

"Since when can I not protect myself, Emma?!"

Emma turned to meet her gaze and Mary Margaret could see the apologetic sadness in her eyes.

"Mom..."

"No, Em. This was not your call to make. This is between me and David."

"I'm just trying to..."

"Then stop trying!"

Emma fell silent and Mary Margaret almost took the words back, but her insides were crawling in a way that wouldn't let her speak. She turned away and crossed her arms, trying not to puke.

It only took Kathryn a matter of seconds. She stepped back into the room fiddling with her phone. "Graham will be here in ten minutes."

"Okay," Emma said softly. "Then all we can do is wait."

Mary Margaret bit her tongue so hard it bled.

* * *

By the time Graham's car pulled up in front of the house, the three women had moved to sit on the front porch, hugging themselves to keep warm in the damp autumn air. Emma jumped to her feet as Graham doused his lights and opened the door, a feeling of relief flooding her. That's when Regina stepped out from the passenger side.

"What's going on?" the mayor demanded stalking up the sidewalk. "Is David okay?"

Graham came hurriedly jogging up behind the irate queen. "Regina..."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Regina directed towards Emma.

"Me?" Emma growled. "What are you doing here? What did you do?"

"You think I had something to do with this?!" Regina laughed.

"I think it's curious that the mayor is here," Emma spat back.

"Emma." Both women turned to look at Kathryn. "She's here because I asked for her. She's a close friend."

Emma glanced back at Regina. "You know them?"

Regina sighed and clasped her hands in front of her. "I found David in a coma years ago. On the side of the road with no ID. I brought him to the hospital and worked very hard to identify him and find his wife."

"Regina saved his life," Kathryn said softly. Regina took another step towards the trembling woman and laid a hand on her shoulder. Kathryn swallowed and looked pleadingly at Graham.

"Will he be okay?"

Graham tilted his head. "We don't know anything about what's happening right now, Mrs. Nolan. He could have just gotten turned around somewhere in the dark. Just let me do my job and find him, okay?"

Kathryn swallowed hard again and nodded.

Emma stepped forward. "Well then, let's quit yapping and start looking."

Regina scoffed. "That's what we're doing? Just stay out of this, dear." She slipped her arm under Kathryn's elbow. "Come inside, Kathryn. The sheriff will find David."

The two women brushed past Mary Margaret who stood frozen at the bottom of the steps. Emma reached back and grabbed her mom's hand, squeezing briefly.

"Ms. Swan, how long ago was it that you last saw, Mr. Nolan?" Graham asked.

Mary Margaret squeezed Emma's hand in return. "Two hours or so."

Graham smiled. "That's not too much time to account for. Let's see what we can find." He gave Emma a sidelong glance. "I suppose I can't keep you out of this?"

"Not on your life."

Graham sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

* * *

The first grey light of dawn was beginning to slither between the alleyways and over the treetops when Mary Margaret started to think that it was hopeless. Between the three of them, the searchers had combed the Nolan's side of town ruthlessly. Mary Margaret had even been impressed with Graham's dedication. But now, her hope was fading with the shadows. David was nowhere to be found.

Emma jogged up beside her. "Hey."

"Em, I don't want to talk right now," Mary Margaret said between gritted teeth. She scanned the street in front of them, looking for any movement.

Emma panted for a few more seconds. "I think we might be going about this the wrong way."

"You think?" Mary Margaret snapped. She watched Emma's face pale and closed her eyes. "Sorry, Emma. I'm sorry. I'm just... I don't know, I'm sorry."

Emma squeezed her shoulder. "We will find him, Mom. I promise. But I need you to listen to me."

Mary Margaret opened her eyes slowly. "What?"

Emma hesitated. "Well, we should know where he would be going, don't you think? I mean, there has to be a clue in that storybook somewhere. Something about his real self is confusing him, drawing him somewhere else. That 's why he wandered off. We just need to figure out exactly what his memory was about."

Mary Margaret reached down into her satchel and ran her fingers over the spine of the book. "He was remembering the forest from when we first met. He trapped me and then I agreed to take him to the Troll Bridge to retrieve his ring."

"Okay, this is good," Emma said. She turned back down the street. "Graham! Come here!"

"Emma, I don't know how this helps us."

"It helps, Mom," Emma said. "It means that we've been looking in the wrong place. David was searching for the forest, not something in town."

Graham rushed around the corner. "What is it? Did you find him?"

"No, but I think I know where to look."

* * *

Mary Margaret hadn't been back in the forest in years. It was just easier raising Emma in the city, close to her job. She took a deep breath, the smell of pine flooding her senses.

"You good, Mom?"

Mary Margaret gave a small nod. "Yeah, I'm good."

The two wandered slowly behind Graham, who was moving forward in a crouch, examining the trail they had picked up. Mary Margaret had known that her tracking skills had probably gone a bit dormant in the twenty-eight years she'd taken away from the forests, but Graham was still finding tracks that she would never have noticed at her peak. She supposed that being raised by wolves would do that to you, even if he couldn't remember yet.

Suddenly he stopped and held up a hand.

"What is it?" Emma asked.

"The trail runs out here."

Mary Margaret's heart jumped into her throat. "You're sure? I thought tracking was one of your skills."

Graham cast an annoyed glance back at her. "Just give me a second. This is my world. I got it."

"Right," Mary Margaret murmured. "Sorry."

Emma reached for her hand. "Finding people is what we do. Remember?"

"I remember." Mary Margaret clung to Emma's hand as they began moving again, picking their way painstakingly downhill. Slipping silently through the trees, bits and pieces of memory began to seep back into her mind's eye. The rough bark of a tree against her back as a dark knight slammed her against the trunk. The whistle of David's arrow and the weight of the knight's body toppling him to the ground. The rush of water from the river that led to the Troll Bridge...

"He's looking for me."

Emma stared at Mary Margaret questioningly.

"He still loves me, Emma. And he's looking for me. He said he would always find me."

"Guys!" Graham pointed ahead into a tangle of broken bushes. Emma flicked her flashlight across the branches, clearly illuminating a shiny spattering among the leaves.

Mary Margaret tightened her grasp on Emma's fingers. "Is that..."

"Blood," Emma finished.

Mary Margaret quivered in fear for a second and then bolted past Graham, sprinting through the undergrowth.

"Mom! Mom, wait!"

She couldn't wait.

She could hear the flowing water drawing closer. It hadn't just been in her memories than. He was looking for her. Going back to the bridge where it all began.

"I will find you," she whispered.

Abruptly, the stream came into view. The sun was just rising, throwing glints of silver off of the rushing shallows. Mary Margaret skidded to a stop and cast about for a trail of some kind. She could see the bridge looming nearby and slowly worked her way towards it. Surely, he was somewhere...

"David!" The scream tore from her throat involuntarily. His body lay prone in the shallows just a little farther down the waterline, head submerged in water.

She splashed through the water nearly tripping over herself. She had his head propped up on her knees in second, squatting in the cold water with tears running down her face.

"Help me!" she screamed. "Emma, Graham... help!"

The two came bursting through the trees, breathing hard. Emma didn't waste anytime hooking her arms under David's shoulders. "Graham, come on!"

Between the three of them, they managed to hoist him the few feet to solid ground and lay him gently down. Graham shakily reached for his radio.

"I need an ambulance! At the old Toll Bridge, as soon as possible!"

Mary Margaret remained kneeling over David's still face. "No, no, no, no, no! No, no, no! I found you!"

Emma tried to grab Mary Margaret's shoulders. "It's going to be okay..."

Mary Margaret shrugged her off. "Come back to us. Come back to me."

She placed her hands squarely on his chest and started to push up and down, CPR training rushing back into her head.

Graham tried to move in, but Emma intercepted.

Mary Margaret kept pumping, imagining David's heart under her hands contracting over and over. Then with all the warmth and life she could summon she leaned over and pinched his nose shut, sealing his open mouth against her's and breathed into him.

Instantly, a spasm ran through David and he coughed up water, letting it spill over his chin. Mary Margaret gasped and cradled his face between her hands.

David blinked and slowly opened his eyes, squinting against the sunlight. He gradually focused on Mary Margaret, biting her lip.

"You saved me," he whispered.

She laughed, feeling the tears start to slide down her cheeks.

David reached up and carefully wiped one from her cheek with his thumb and she reached up to grasp his wrist gratefully. "Thank you," he said.

"Do you remember?" Mary Margaret choked out.

David blinked. "I don't know."

Mary Margaret cupped his cheek in her hand again. "It's okay. You're going to be okay."

* * *

"Watch your back! Coming through!"

The hospital was a bustle of activity as the paramedics wheeled David straight through the ward and into a prepared area behind a wall of glass. Mary Margaret had been recklessly holding his hand and keeping pace with the gurney until the attending doctor gently removed her and ushered her off to the side.

"We got it from here, ma'am."

The glass doors closed and Mary Margaret noted Kathryn's anxious face among the crowd of doctors and nurses surrounding the bed. She sighed and rested her head on Emma's shoulder.

"You did it, Mom," Emma whispered. "You saved him."

"Yes." She didn't have the energy to say more.

Kathryn stepped outside of the room, letting the door swing gently closed behind her.

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you for finding my David."

Mary Margaret could see the tear stains on Kathryn's cheeks, matching the trails down her own and suddenly she stepped forward and put her arms around the other woman. It didn't matter who loved who right now. They had saved David and that was all that mattered. She stepped back and Kathryn laughed a little bit, wiping the fresh tears from under her eyes.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

The excitement in the private room had stilled a bit and the doctor stepped outside to join the ladies. Before he could say anything, Kathryn turned on him.

"Doctor Whale, is he okay?"

"Ah, physically he's on the mend, um... his memory is another issue. He seems very confused. Says he can't remember what he was doing or why. It may take time, if at all."

"Can I see him?" Kathryn asked.

"Yeah, of course." Dr. Whale ushered her into the room where she seated herself at the side of David's bed and reached for his hand. Mary Margaret turned away.

This time it was Emma's arms that initiated the embrace. "He was looking for you. The forest, the Toll Bridge? That was all you. He'll come back to you."

Mary Margaret nodded into her shoulder and continued to hold her daughter tight. Emma stroked her mother's hair softly, whispering encouragement and watching through the glass wall as David confusedly reunited with Kathryn. And she knew it wasn't her imagination that his stare kept returning to meet her own.


	10. Moves and Countermoves

Emma silently thanked Ruby again as she enjoyed the warmth seeping through the thick paper cup into her chilly hands. She shifted from one foot to the other, eyelids threatening to droop closed. Dr. Hopper's office remained still and silent, but Emma's watch read 8:52. Just a few more minutes.

She thought again about Henry; the way he talked like a child twice his age, the way he smiled at her through his eyes and didn't hesitate to reach over and grab her hand. He liked cinnamon in his cocoa.

She took another absent-minded sip of coffee and let her mind wander. To a man who had once looked at her through hazel eyes that pleaded with her to drop her heart in his lap...

The blinds on the office window slid open, revealing a cheery looking Dr. Hopper. He flipped the sign on the window so that it read 'Open' and then disappeared back into the interior.

Henry didn't look like he was being mistreated, but the poor kid seemed to be down about something. Maybe just the fact that he had therapy sessions at all. Emma could only imagine what that would do to a kid's self-esteem.

 _You have problems, son. So now you're going to go talk to a shrink once a week until they're gone._

She shook the cobwebs from her head and forced herself to walk confidently across the street. She needed to start finding answers to the web of questions surrounding Henry and Dr. Hopper seemed like a good place to start.

Emma slipped into the small waiting room and took a deep breath. A warm cheery glow was emanating from an askew door at the back of the room, one she assumed led to Archie's office. She readied her most reasonable smile and walked across the room to tap lightly on the door before poking her head in.

"Hey."

Archie looked up from a book he'd been reading at his desk and smiled. The desk was stacked with papers and books, as were the bookshelves. A fire crackled in the old-fashioned fireplace, surrounded by some comfortable looking sofas and armchairs.

"Emma Swan." Archie stood. "I hope your stay has only been getting better since the unfortunate incident with your car. Although I'm always willing to help with a little post-traumatic stress." He chuckled. "That diagnosis was free, by the way."

Emma laughed at the man's good-natured jokes. "No, I'm actually here about... something else." She swallowed thickly as Archie's smile faded into a confused look.

"What exactly is it, Miss Swan?"

"I..."

 _Just tell him._

"I'm concerned about Henry Mills."

Archie's expression became inscrutable instantly.

"I'm sorry, but I really can't..."

"Please, Dr. Hopper," Emma butted in. "I've talked with Henry several times now and whenever his mom or his therapy sessions gets brought up he just seems... I don't know how to describe it. He seems lost."

Archie began fiddling with the umbrella leaning against the side of his desk, but he remained silent.

"He seems like such a good kid and I just want to make sure everything is okay," Emma continued. She took a deep breath. "I have good instincts when it comes to finding bad guys. Just ask half the bail jumpers in Boston."

Archie glanced up at her with a raised eyebrow, as if to say he didn't believe her.

She ignored his silent doubts. "I have a bad feeling about Henry and what's going on in his life and I don't think I'll be able to sleep easily at night until I figure this out. So please... help me."

Archie twisted the umbrella back and forth for a few seconds and then shook his head. "No, Emma. I'm sorry. I believe that you have good intentions in mind, but I cannot in good conscience talk about one of my patients."

Emma's heart sank. She stared at the doctor as he continued to aimlessly fiddle with his umbrella. Suddenly, the words he had just said stuck out in her mind: "good conscience". The umbrella, the strict moral code...

"Jiminy Cricket," she whispered.

Archie squinted at her. "What did you say?"

Emma blinked. She had found another fairytale character but what good did that do her without a way to break the curse? She couldn't go around using True Love's kiss on every memory-forsaken inhabitant of Storybrooke. And she had no magic of her own to counteract Regina's curse. If there was only a way to simply talk them into believing for themselves. Maybe Henry could help them remember... She closed her eyes and desperately racked her brain for a useful tidbit of information, something to make Dr. Hopper remember who he really was. But she found nothing except loud frustration and quiet confusion at the entire situation.

"If there's nothing else I can help you with, Ms. Swan, I would prefer it if you let me get back to my work," Archie said softly.

Emma held his stare for a moment, then turned away. She was solving nothing here. Back to square one.

* * *

Archie debated with himself for nearly half an hour before picking up the phone and dialing. Ethics, morals, conscience... whatever it was driving him, he wasn't sure he understood it anymore. So he gave up trying to think and let his fingers punch in the number almost of their own accord.

She answered after two rings.

"Hello?"

"She was just here."

"Who?"

"Emma Swan."

Silence from the other end for a few seconds.

"Don't worry, I sent her away."

The silence stretched, making Archie shift slightly.

Finally, "I think I have a better idea for dealing with her. For good. Will you help me?"

Archie swallowed thickly. "I want to help Henry."

"Of course you do. So here's what we'll do..."

* * *

Emma was leaning back against the headboard, trying not to let her eyes close, when Mary Margaret burst through the door. The fleeting thought that the whole blind woman disguise probably wasn't cutting it anymore ran through Emma's head and then she let it go. They would deal with the problems as they came.

"Emma, where's my green sweater?" Mary Margaret flung her coat onto Emma's lap and dug vigorously through her suitcase.

"I don't know." Emma tiredly watched her mother's frantic movements for a few moments. "Mom, why you don't take a short nap?"

"No, I need to get back to the hospital. David is sleeping but when he wakes up again, I need to be there," Mary Margaret said. She stepped into the small bathroom and began brushing her teeth.

"Mom, you can't just go without sleep. You're going to collapse."

Mary Margaret wiped her mouth and shook a few stray droplets of water from her fingertips. "I know my limits. Don't try to stand in my way, Emma."

Emma searched her mother's eyes and then leaned back against the headboard again with a sigh. "Alright. I know there's no stopping you now."

"Ruby's brewing me some fresh coffee downstairs anyways. I'll be fine." Mary Margaret hesitated and touched Emma's shoulder gently. "And what about your meeting with Dr. Hopper?"

Emma groaned and shook her head.

"Oh Emma... I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Emma tried to smile. "I don't know why I'm so caught up with this idea anyways. It's not... it just doesn't..." She trailed off, Henry's eyes appearing in her mind again.

Mary Margaret slowly seated herself on the edge of the bed, taking Emma's hand in her own. "I know you, Em. That boy has gotten inside your heart, hasn't he?"

"Yeah..." Emma admitted softly. "I just want to make sure Regina's actually treating him alright. And maybe... maybe that's distracting me from the mission. I didn't help you with Dad until it was almost too late because I've just been... I don't know."

"Hey." Mary Margaret sat up straight and took Emma's face between her hands. "Serving justice, right? That's what we're trying to do here. And if that means saving a child from the evil queen herself, then that's what we'll do. No one's life is worth more than any other's. Your father would be the first to tell you that."

Emma leaned forward, letting her forehead rest against her mother's chin. "I just don't know how else to help him."

Mary Margaret kissed Emma's forehead. "You'll find a way. You always do," she whispered.

"Get back to the hospital, Mom," Emma said. "Your husband needs you."

"And you sleep on your problem. You look like you need it," Mary Margaret said sternly. She hopped back up and slid her dark glasses back over her face before heading to the door. Just as she opened it, Dr. Hopper stepped into view.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" he gasped, jumping a little. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Mary Margaret grinned wryly. "It sounds like you're the startled one."

Archie laughed a little and stepped aside for Mary Margaret to walk down the hall. "I just wanted to speak to Emma, if that's alright. It will only be for a minute."

"Of course." Mary Margaret hurried down the hallway without another backwards look.

Archie tentatively poked his head around the door frame.

"Is it alright if I step inside?"

Emma nodded wearily at him, but didn't bother to move as he stepped inside and shut the door.

"What can I do for you, Dr. Hopper?" she asked.

"Um... I just wanted to say... you were right you know?" he stuttered. Emma stared at him, waiting. "Um... Regina... she's a very complicated woman and uh... she attempts to bring Henry closer but only seems to succeed in having those attempts backfire. It makes it hard for him..."

Emma sat up. "Why are you telling me this?"

Archie swallowed and reached into the satchel hanging over his shoulder, pulling out a slim folder. The corners of a few papers jutted out from the open side. "You're the first person to express concern for Henry. And that... that means a lot to me. I want you to take a look at his file. See what I mean about... everything."

Emma eyed the folder and then shifted her gaze back to the doctor's face. "Why are you really doing this, Archie?"

Archie gnawed on his lip. "I'm just trying to do what's best for the boy. He needs... a friend."

Emma could hear the alarms clanging in her head, screaming, "Liar, liar, liar..."

She opened her mouth to refuse the offer when Archie suddenly continued. "He talked about you. Last night."

Emma blinked, brain grinding to a halt. "He... what?"

"He talked about you." Archie smiled faintly. "He seems to think very highly of you."

Emma couldn't hear the alarms anymore over the buzzing in her ears. Henry... cared?

"Okay," she said numbly. She reached out and Archie placed the folder in her hands. There wasn't much of substance. But maybe she was holding the key to the mysterious boy.

Archie was halfway out the door before Emma remembered him. "Dr. Hopper?" He turned. "Thank you."

Archie gave her a slight nod and hastened away.

Emma slowly let the folder drop open in her lap. The nap could wait.

* * *

The knock at the door startled Emma out of the trance she had fallen into. She eased herself off of the bed, making sure not to disturb the semi-circle of papers spread across the comforter. She took a brief second to ruffle a hand through her tangled hair and then went to the door.

"Graham? Hey."

"Hey, Emma..."

Emma waited. Graham coughed slightly.

"Is this about my car or something? Because I have Michael's number already and you don't have to..."

"No, Emma... Actually, I'm here about Dr. Archibald Hopper. He mentioned you got into a bit of a row with him earlier?"

The alarms came screaming back to life in Emma's head. "No."

Graham gave her a wry smile. "I'm shocked too, given your shy, delicate sensibilities. He says you demanded to see Henry's files and when he refused you came back and stole them."

"He gave them to me!"

"Alas, he's telling a different tale." Graham nodded towards her room. "May I check your room? Or must I get a search warrant?"

Emma took a deep breath and opened the door wide for him to see the array of pages. "Here's what you're looking for."

Graham stepped inside and scanned the papers, mouth set in a tight line. "Well, you're very accommodating. But I'm afraid, Emma, you're under arrest."

He pulled out his handcuffs and gestured for her to hold out her arms.

"You know I'm being set up, right?" she asked softly as he snapped the cuffs around her wrists.

Graham looked at her sadly. "I'm so sorry. Really."

* * *

The camera flashed and Emma struggled not to blink. "You know Archie's lying, right?"

Graham squinted through the viewer and waved his hand at her. "To the right, please." Emma sighed and turned for him to capture her profile. Graham straightened and rubbed his palms across his pants. "Why would he lie?"

"The Mayor put him up to this!" Emma exclaimed. "She's gotta have something on him. He's terrified of her, like everyone else in this town..."

"To the left," Graham said. The camera flashed again. "Emma, we talked about this. I know Regina is intimidating, but I really don't think she'd go as far as a frame-job."

"Well how far do you think she'd go, Graham?" Emma snapped. "What exactly does she have her hands in?"

Graham shot her a warning glance. "You know how this town works. She has her hands in everything."

"Including the police force?"

Graham stared at her and Emma felt her resolve begin to crumble. "Graham... I didn't mean..."

"Save it, Emma. I don't need to hear it right now." He walked over to his desk and started scribbling something on a form.

"Graham?" Emma took a step closer. "I'm so sorry. That was out of line. I'm just frustrated that no one seems to believe..."

"I said I don't need to hear it." He stood up and moved towards her so suddenly she flinched. Then she realized that he was uncuffing her and putting the handcuffs away.

"Wha..."

"I'm bailing you out. You're free to go."

He sat down at his desk and pulled out a stack of papers. Apparently the conversation was over.

Emma rubbed her wrists. "Why are you doing this?"

Graham didn't look at her. "I don't know. I guess I trust you."

Emma shivered and kept her eyes trained on Graham's back for a few seconds. Then she turned and walked out of the station. She had something she needed to do.

* * *

The sound of a chainsaw outside disrupted Regina's otherwise perfect afternoon. One swift glance out her office window had her running for the door. Emma Swan was demolishing her beloved apple tree.

Regina ran across the perfectly manicured lawn, heels digging violently into the soft ground. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Emma tossed her loose hair back over her shoulder. "Picking apples." She shut the saw off and dropped it casually.

Regina stared aghast at the jaggedly cut limb splayed at the foot of the tree. Apples had loosened and bounced every which way across the lawn. "You're out of your mind!"

"No, you are if you think a shoddy frame job is enough to scare me off!" Emma yelled. She stepped closer, making Regina lean back slightly. "You're going to have to do better than that. If you come after me one more time, I'm coming back for the rest of this tree. Because, sister, you have no idea what I'm capable of." She turned on her heel and strode away leaving chainsaw and all behind her. "Your move."

Regina was going to crush her.

* * *

Mary Margaret carefully made her way back down the hallway towards her room, making sure to add the appropriate amount of tapping with the prop cane. She had calmed enough over the course of the day to be mindful of her disguise and she could only hope that she hadn't blown it over the past twenty-four hours.

David was recovering nicely and would be released soon. Thanks to her quick actions at the stream, Dr. Whale said that he was in no danger from her ordeal. She smiled to herself at the memory of David's grateful grip on her hand. Maybe things were starting to look up after all.

She swung the door open to meet Emma's sheepish stare.

"What?"

Emma took a deep breath. "This is um... awkward."

Mary Margaret closed the door and set her glasses down on the nightstand, waiting.

"We've been asked to leave."

"What?!"

Emma twisted her fingers together. "It turns out there's a no-felons rule and um... I was arrested earlier?"

"Emma!"

Emma winced. "It wasn't my fault. Regina tried to have me set up and Graham bailed me out and... it's a long story, but the only thing that matters right now is that Regina still got the upper hand. She called to remind Granny that there's a city ordinance about no-felons. And Granny asked us to leave by tonight."

Mary Margaret glanced at the clock and tried to steel herself against the wave of weariness that swept over her.

"Mom, I'm so sorry. I didn't know how..."

"It's okay, Em." Mary Margaret pulled her into a hug. "We'll be okay. We always have been."

Emma straightened and tried to give her mother a bright smile. "I'll go hand back the room key."

Mary Margaret nodded slowly. "No place to lay our heads... I guess it will be like old times, huh?"

"Yep, just like old times."


End file.
